How do you get into Iraq? (Ref to Berg)...I just tried to 'book' a flight

on 4 different placess, Expedia, cheaptickets and a couple others, there are none. Zip, Nada.

It's no problem getting to Amman, Damascus, Riyadh and the general neighborhood but there appear to be no flights into Iraq.

So if you make it to one of those places, can you just hire a taxi to Baghdad? What are the visa and immigration/custom procedures? (I should have poked through the State Dep't site but it's all so damn tedious...) Is a passport even required since Iraq is a "de facto"
possession of the USA now?

And what if I just decided to 'borrow' the plane I usually fly and try to land in some Iraqi city? The FAA doesn't seem to have any information let alone any NOTAMS on this (it has been several years since I made any international trips so I'm a bit out of the loop on this and haven't had the need to check it out - now I'm just really curious how a radio tower guy managed to apparently get carte blanche to roam around Iraq trying to make a few bucks.

The whole thing is so bizarre, I can't even think about it properly...
:eyes:

"an authorized officer of the CPA at a port of entry, border control station, or at any place designated by the Senior Advisor of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, in coordination with the Interim Minister of the Interior..."
--------------------------------------------------------------------

I just show up at the border and ask for one of these people. Got it.
:eyes:

It just gets weirder and weirder, doesn't it?

so is this part wrong?

"AREAS OF INSTABILITY/SAFETY AND SECURITY: Remnants of the former Baath regime, transnational terrorists, and criminal elements remain active throughout Iraq. Coalition-led military operations continue, and there continue to be attacks against Coalition forces throughout the country. While a number of attacks have been concentrated in Baghdad, Fallujah, Ramadi, Tikrit, Bayji, Baqubah, Mosul and Kirkuk, the security environment across Iraq is dangerous, volatile and unpredictable. Attacks on Coalition forces as well as civilian targets, including hotels, the UN headquarters, the International Committee of the red cross, police stations, checkpoints entering Coalition Provisional Authority areas, individuals doing humanitarian work and several foreign missions, can occur at any time, especially during nighttime hours. There has been an increase in the use of Improvised Explosive Devices and/or mines on roads, particularly in plastic bags, soda cans, and animal carcasses. Grenades and explosives have been thrown into vehicles from overpasses, particularly in crowded areas. Rockets and mortars have been fired at hotels, and vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices have been used against targets throughout the country."

great vacation destination. As in 'final.'
:eyes:

which would have been government-sponsored or did he get there on his own?

Also, strangely... On March 30th he was going to fly out of Amman, Jordan. Is that normal for a contractor working in Baghdad? I'm assuming that when he was first working there, under contract, they would have flown him straight to Baghdad with a round-trip ticket & proper authorization to enter. So what's with Amman or had Nick somehow not properly appeared

before an authorized officer of the CPA at a port of entry, border control station, or at any place designated by the Senior Advisor of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, in coordination with the Interim Minister of the Interior, for examination to determine whether the person may be granted entry to Iraq.

when he first went to Iraq?

Can't think right now. Too much information to process. Will be back soon...

Laz, what are you thinking?

====


Dear Friends and Customers of Nick Berg and Prometheus Towers,

I am enclosing the following news release which my wife and I are about to
release to the media for you. If anyone out there in the broadcast industry
can do anything to help us spread the word about our son's disappearance
especially to the Mid East, we would be very appreciative:

On March 14 our son, Nick Berg, left for Iraq to inspect some radio towers
that had been damaged during last year's war. His goal was to secure some
contract work for his business, Prometheus Methods Tower Service. He
planned to return on March 30 through Amman, Jordan.

On March 24, Nick was picked up by the Iraqi police in Mosul and held for
questioning for no apparent reason. He was subsequently detained by the
U.S. military and interrogated by the FBI until his release on April 6. No
reason was ever given for holding him for these 13 days. Immediately upon
his release he emailed the family and proceeded south to Baghdad where he
was staying at the Al Fanar Hotel.

On April 9 he called us and said that he was seeking a safe route out of the
country either through Jordan, or possibly Turkey. Most of the major routes
were closed due to military action around Fallujah. Since that time we have
had no contact with our son. No one we know in Iraq has seen or spoken to
him, and we know that he has not accessed his email. We are extremely
worried about his safety. We are asking anyone who has seen Nick or knows
anything about his whereabouts to come forward and give us this information
so that he can be safely brought home.

We extend our sympathies to all of the many families who are in the same
situation.

Suzanne and Michael Berg

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Tower-pro/message/19321

I'm kinda scared to think about what I'm thinking.

But this guy apparently worked in or around Abu Ghraib, and the more info comes out, the more this stinks.

;-)

He had to pay Kurish nationals to lead him in through the mountains on foot. These Kurds were armed, and he emphasized that he didn't know at any moment if they were going to shoot him. I can't see him taking this dangerous route (took him two weeks on foot to get there) if there was an easier way in. Good catch.