Chapter 26 – Rocking the Casbah
Approximate Reading time – 5 minutes
As the UN coalition assembled, the face and sound of Riyadh began changing. Arriving soldiers dressed in forest green fatigues emerged a few days later in desert brown and grey, the 'chocolate chip' uniforms of Desert Storm.
But it wasn't only the uniforms that changed colors. One morning, Nick was waiting at a crossroads in Al Wadi when a long line of low-bed trucks paraded past. They were hauling tanks painted in the same greens and browns of European camouflage as the uniforms. The caravan was on its way to an appointment at a paint shop for their desert makeover. The previous year, the Berlin Wall had fallen, Eastern Europe was opening, and now the world's political focus was shifting from the forests of Europe and the Cold War to the deserts of the Middle East and a possible 'Hot' war.
The coalition's leadership was in place: General Schwarzkopf for the Americans, General de la Billière for the British, and Khalid bin Sultan for the Saudis. The Kuwaitis were nominally present, as were the other members of the coalition; Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. The German and Japanese governments, restricted by post-World War II laws, provided material support. The hospital received a half dozen new Toyota Land Cruisers from the Japanese government, which the Colonel promptly secreted at a villa in Al Wadi for future use.
Elements of Western culture soon followed the arrival of these troops. Fast food restaurants popped up like mushrooms on the desert landscape after rain. Wendy's, Taco Bell, frozen yogurt, and other delights met the new need for Western nourishment.
Then, a strange sound joined the muezzin's call to prayer, FM radio courtesy of the Armed Forces Radio. At the low end of the FM band, the US military's radio service began broadcasting around the clock. It was a mixture of programming from news and sports to country, western, and rock music. Nick now enjoyed driving Al Wadi's streets, enclosed in his car, listening to Janis Joplin, Tom Petty, and other infidel voices.
But perhaps the strangest import of all was a juvenile cartoon character with bright yellow hair and a skateboard – Bart Simpson. Unlike previous generations of soldiers who had gravitated to the voluptuous images of Betty Grable, Lana Turner, and Ann-Margaret, some warriors of this generation brought this mischievous ten-year-old boy from a wildly dysfunctional family. Bart had a distinctly disruptive attitude. He had no time for adult rules nor respect for authority. His appearance heralded the dawning of a different kind of war with another type of military.
Another minor change rippled through the Kingdom's traditions: women in uniform, women driving, and women with weapons. Women drove military vehicles through the streets of Riyadh, Dhahran, and Hafr Al Batin. In addition, female MPs appeared in various places wearing sidearms. In one reported incident, a muttawa tried to stop a group of women MPs shopping in Al Akariya. The men ended up on the floor with pistols pointed at their faces. Shortly after, rumors circulated throughout the kingdom that most of the Mutaween had been 'relocated' to remote areas far away from foreign forces.
But perhaps the most foreboding event was barely noticed. The son of one of the Kingdom's wealthiest families and a veteran of the Afghan Mujahedeen, Osama Bin Laden, offered his service and his contingent of jihadis to the Saudi Royal family in place of the infidel fighters. His offer was promptly rejected and eventually led to a series of very unfortunate events.
One Thursday afternoon, Sam, Nick, and Dick drove to Riyadh to visit the newly opened Wendy's on Airport Road close to the Hyatt Hotel. They found a clean, modern, Western fast-food restaurant serving burgers, fries, and a frosty. A friendly Filipino greeted them as they entered, ready to take their order. They waited for a short time, and then, with food in hand, they made themselves comfortable and prepared to eat. The door opened as they began their meal, and three US soldiers wearing green and brown fatigues walked in. They were all enlisted men. Sam eyed them carefully, then rose. He handed the cashier a hundred riyal note before the men could protest.
"Would you be our guests?' Sam inquired.
The men seemed nervous but accepted his offer, making their way over as Nick moved a nearby table to make more room for their guests.
Once they were seated, Sam introduced Nick and Dick, explaining that they worked in various Saudi military capacities. Then, he began a conversation to help put them at ease.
"My name is Sam, and I served in the army a while back. Welcome to the Magic Kingdom. I'll tell you we are glad to see you. When did you arrive?"
The oldest of the group spoke up. The soldier had a distinct New England accent.
"Forty-eight hours ago, I was at Fort Hood, minding my own business, when our unit got the word that we had to pack our gear and get on a flight that night. So I said goodbye to my wife. She's pregnant with our first child, you know. And then we landed here."
Sam followed up.
"Where do they have you billeted?"
Another man, a sergeant, spoke up.
"They've got us in some high-rise apartments on the edge of town."
Sam interrupted, looking at Nick.
"Damn, so what I had heard was true. I knew the Saudis would find a use for those things. Nick, you remember asking me about those buildings when I took you on your first tour of Riyadh?"
Nick, looking puzzled, replied.
"Yeah, but I thought those were for the Kuwaiti refugees."
"Right, you're right on that. The Saudis housed the Kuwaiti refugees in the ones I showed you, but others are on the far edge of town. I had forgotten about them."
Sam turned back to the men, apologizing for the interruption.
"Sorry, Nick has been here since last winter. I had taken him on a city tour after he arrived, and he had asked about the apartment buildings. Where were you before I interrupted you?"
The soldier continued.
"I was telling you about our quarters. But it seems that we won't be there for long. We move out in a few days for somewhere closer to the border. I don't remember the name."
Dick spoke up.
"The place is Hafr al Batn. It is the place they have chosen for assembling the coalition forces. It's not far from the Iraqi border and Kuwait."
The sergeant now asked them what they were doing in Saudi Arabia. Dick replied.
"This is a strange place. You see, the Saudis can't run their country with the people who live here, so they bring in 'expats'; expatriates from various parts of the world to work and manage the day-to-day affairs."
He pointed to Nick.
"Nick is an ER doctor at a military hospital just south of Riyadh. They only have a few local doctors. So, the Saudis bring in doctors, nurses, and others to run the hospitals. Sam and I support the Saudi military with training and equipment. So we are all sort of in this with you."
The third soldier spoke up.
"This seems weird if you ask me."
Dick and Sam both smiled, and Sam replied.
"You are one hundred percent correct. It is weird, bizarre! It is so strange that you wouldn't believe half of it if I told you all I've experienced. But they pay us well."
With that said, they finished their meals and said farewell. Sam gave his telephone number to the sergeant in case he had any questions later. Dick thought to himself that he would need to find out more about this Bart Simpson character.