Hacking it in Iraq

Travel to Baghdad from London via Royal Jordanian Airlines? About $800.00 USD. Taxi fare for the 15 mile ride from Baghdad Airport to the Green Zone via taxi? About $20.00. Making it there alive to spend tea time with John Negroponte? Priceless. Or at least $5,000, tip not included:

A 15-mile stretch between Baghdad airport and the city centre is said to be the world's most expensive taxi ride.

Small convoys of armoured cars and Western gunmen charge about �2,750 ($5,108) for the perilous journey.

The route, known as the Qadisiyah Expressway, has become the scene of regular attacks and kidnappings by insurgents.

Security costs have soared in Iraq reflecting the escalating risks for foreign workers...(more)

Here's what's most revealing about this article: all the kings horses, all the kings men, and $200+ billion dollars can't keep a lousy 15 mile stretch of road safe in the most secure part of Iraq.

This whole pre-emptive invasion thing is so not working out.