A link too good to pass up. For the world’s saddest victory celebration (we handed Najaf to the Iraqis), see this Wonkette post. To be frank, the keyboardist — who actually has a day’s work — looks more grateful than the stiff-as-a-board Iraqi politicians who have to clean up this mess.
Update: MoJo intern Celia Perry adds the following: The AP reports that during the ceremony commemorating the return of Najaf to local control, “a small group of [Iraqi] soldiers stepped forward with a live rabbit and tore it to pieces. The leader bit out the heart with a yell, then passed around the blood-soaked remains to his comrades, each of whom took a bite. The group also bit the heads off frogs, as some of those in the crowd held their noses from the stench.” Later, police drove in shiny new vehicles around a track littered with fur and frog legs. Apparently, chewing on live animals is a traditional display of ferocity that was used by elite military units during Saddam Hussein’s regime. I guess old habits die hard.
Update II: Apparently the celebration was bigger than the picture at Wonkette would suggest. From the AP story mentioned above: “About 1,500 police officers, soldiers and security personnel staged a parade around an infield of stubby brown grass, in festivities complete with warriors on horseback.”
