Hummers the new status symol amongst wealthy Iraqis

[TheMightyFavog]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97777968

:wtf:

The Hummer has become one of the most ubiquitous symbols of the U.S. military presence in Iraq.

In fact, the real name for the tan truck that the military introduced to Iraq in 2003 is high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle, or Humvee. It was General Motors that named the civilian version of the vehicle Hummer.

Now Safa Selmen Menjed, 28, is trying to market the Hummer as a status symbol to wealthy Iraqis.

(snip)

Moments after meeting him, I am cruising in a candy-red H3 SUV. Next to us, barreling down a poorly lit street, is a banana yellow H3 blaring Arabic pop music. The driver and his friend are clapping and whistling. It's something I never expected to do in Baghdad.

WTF, mate?

[JVS]

1. Rock the Casbah!

[GodlessBiker]

2. Good. Sell them all of ours.

[FSogol]

3. Hurry up and ship them all over there. n/t

[LeftinOH]

4. GM was (supposedly) looking to sell off the Hummer division.. the Iraqis have the (oil) money,

so -sell it! An export product aimed at the "gas-prices-are-not-important" market in the Middle East.

[RufusEarl]

5. Do they come up armored?

Peace!

[Cleita]

6. There are wealthy Iraqis? They must be nouveau riche.

Hum, hum, hummer. Maybe that's where all those unaccounted for billions of our tax dollars went that disappeared.

[Oregone]

7. Better than RPGs and 50 cal rifles

Unless they mount those up top.

[TheMightyFavog]

8. RPGs? One would think that D&D would be a great way to get the Iraqis to put aside violence...

Dungeons and Dragons would be fine... But not d20 Modern... That could be used as a vaulable training tool for insurgents.