Sheik Ahmed

Enclosed is a recent photo of a meeting with one of the most powerful sheiks in Al Anbar. The meetings are almost always the same... you drink some tea (bottom 1/3 of the glass is full of sugar, in the culture here, sugar in your tea is a sign of respect by the host), then you talk about nothing for a while, sometimes an hour or so. And then right before you leave, you talk about the business at hand. Of course, I do well here, because I can tell a simple story for well over an hour! BBB sent me one of his cap pistols in a package. I have taken to carrying it on some of my meets with my other weapons. Of course, everyone sees it as a toy, and use it as an opener for talking about my family. Have been particularly busy lately... more soon.