Violence melts last remaining pleasures in Baghdad

[Barrett808]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - It was one of Baghdad's last remaining pleasures, but even eating ice-cream is now too risky.

"I have brought my family just once this season. Each year is worse than the last," said Abdul Rasoul Majeed, a 40-year old civil servant, savoring a rare vanilla ice-cream in Al -Ballut, a usually popular parlor in central Baghdad.

Bombs and bloodshed drove Iraqis from the streets, parks and playgrounds of their capital long ago. But they kept coming out for ice-cream, at least until February, when a spasm of sectarian violence pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war.

"Before the war it was very good. We used to open the shop until three in the morning. Now, we close it at nine. Even two years ago was better, when the curfew began at 11 p.m.," said Wail Zuhair, the 25-year-old behind Ballut's counter.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060820/wl_nm/iraq_icecream_dc

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. Mmmmm....melted pleasures...

[opihimoimoi]

2. Thanks to Bush...NO ICE CREAM.... They Hate Us for our ARROGANCE

and IGNORANCE

[xchrom]

3. he does look Ecstatic, doesn't he?

[tridim]

4. So, when are all those promised Bush statues going to be finished?

Maybe they'll come up with one depicting Bush knocking an ice cream cone out of a poor Iraqi kid's hand.

[DemoTex]

5. Bu$h: The "I Scream Man."

[LynnTheDem]

6. "Before the war it was very good."

"Before the war it was very good."

Iraqis were better off under Saddam Hussein than they are now under bushica.

FACT.

[Robb]

7. Can you imagine how good ice cream is

...in 120-degree heat?

[ninkasi]

8. And Lord Pissypants

expects expressions of THANKS from Iraqis? What an ignorant, arrogant fool he is.