Haddjji shops are little stores all over the bases in Iraq. They are owned by third country nationals (TCNs) who market pirated goods or funny t-shirts like the individual above.
Haddjji shops are little stores all over the bases in Iraq. They are owned by third country nationals (TCNs) who market pirated goods or funny t-shirts like the individual above. The images shown inside one of the stores was owned by an Iraqi and Somalian. The Iraqi national now lives in Syria and commutes to Ramadi because it is too dangerous to be directly involved with helping or serving troops in Iraq. He let me take photographs within the shop but didn’t want to be photographed himself in fear of his life from Islamic extremists and the fact his business is completely illegal.
His shop was full of illegal bootleg/pirate/hand me down merchandise. The benefits of Hadjji shops are that they get movies on DVD even before they even hit American theaters. Since the pirated movies either have leaked movies or video recorded at an international theater and pressed by the thousands for our viewing pleasure. Most of the time it’s in horrible quality. Besides the pirated TV shows. I can get all the seasons of Scrubs/ Nip/Tuck/ The Simpsons in DVD quality or what have you for under 40 dollars. Other pirated merchandise is electronical equipment. The “Sony” headphones are a piece of shit (shown in one image).
You know these shops break every American/International trade law in the book but they are all run on U.S. Federal military bases throughout the Middle East. It is really ironic. And what I mean by ironic I don’t mean hipster sporting a gay mustache ironic…. I’m talking about, you know, actual fucking irony here.
Please take note (believe it or not) that I took these photos on March 1.
Third country nationals are hired by private contractors to do menial labor throughout Iraq. We have people all over the third world doing shit detail jobs like doing our laundry or cleaning toilets and showers, serving us food at the chow hall, and even drive supply trucks with us in missions. We have guys from all over – Nepal, Phillipines, Indonesia, Syria, Jordan, India it’s an international capitalist gang bang out here for cheap labor. They are a great way for contractors to gain money by getting deals directly with large government funds for the war effort and then actually get the job done by hiring foreigners who will happily do the work for pennies compared to what we make in Iraq. It’s funny how Americans bitch about illegal immigrants and jobs being exported overseas when that’s exactly what we are doing in Iraq.
We also have people guard our gates, chow halls, and recreational centers by third country nationals. The security service contracted to do this exclusively hires Ugandan mercenaries who are also pretty cool guys. They’re nicknames are “Jumbos” because that’s the informal greeting they use in their language. It’s like saying “what’s up?” or “Hey, how’s it going” in American English. If you wanted to be a real asshole you would refer to them as “skinnies” because that’s the derogatory term used for Africans since the US involvement in Somalia and the Battle of Mogadishu (portrayed in the movie Black Hawk Down). And I think that’s the case since no one feels comfortable calling them niggers.
PS – I told Street Carnage not to use that “If it ain’t Sunni” pic before which is why it’s repeated.
like how you refer to a “war effort.”
Good Lord! That ‘Iraq’ place must be almost like visitng another COUNTRY!!!
wow i knew they did shit like driving the trucks and the work no one would want to do but watch the front gate wtf thats kinda scary they are not afraid of someone coming up and saying dude I’ll give three times month pay today and safe refuge if you let this truck threw