The pistachio carpeting is a nice touch

While Iraq is falling further in a bloody civil war, its citizens having less electricity and clean drinking water now than they did before Bush invaded, with thousands of Americans killed and wounded and God only knows how many Iraqis' lives torn apart, with people afraid to leave their homes to go to work or school, it's nice to know that the officials representing Bush's puppet government in Baghdad are at least living the good life here in the U.S.

According to The Washington Post, "the Iraqi government is initiating major, costly repairs to its diplomatic building in Washington and expanding its real estate holdings here.

The latest Iraqi government purchase for its U.S. mission is a $5.8 million mansion at 3421 Massachusetts Ave. NW in Observatory Circle, across the street from Vice President Cheney's official residence. The three-story, 1920 Tudor-style structure, with more than 7,000 square feet of space...comes with bright skylights, inset lighting fixtures, a top-floor kitchenette with a built-in espresso machine, new hardwood floors and soft pistachio carpeting up the winding stairs. There are heated floors, a firefighting system, speakers for music throughout the building, and spacious bathrooms, one with a Jacuzzi."

I don't know where the money to pay for this is coming from, our tax dollars or Iraqi oil revenue, but it sure as hell isn't going to rebuilding that country's destroyed infrastructure.