http://www.rezendi.com/travels/bbbb.html

Ryan Lackey was the guy who moved onto an abandoned gun platform in the English Channel to setup a datahaven outside of any national jurisdiction. That business failed with the dot com bust. Now he is in Iraq doing satellite hook-ups for the US Military, contractors and other western interests.

The article gives an excellent view into a westerner’s life in Iraq and the problems Iraq is facing. Its a long read, but its worth it.

This is real-life Cryptonomicon.