Well, it’s finally starting to feel like home here. Sure, the heat is irritating, but I think I’m slowly becoming accustomed to it. The call to prayer may still be loud and new, but the only time it really annoys me is when it wakes me up at 3:30 in the morning. We happen to live 2 doors down from one mosque, and have about 2 others in the neighborhood. So when they all sound together it equals a really annoying 5 minutes! We moved into our house yesterday, and we adore it. Just walking around makes me count my blessings and thank God for this beautiful gift. Dad reminded Emily and me that we need to marry a millionaire if we want to ever live in a house like this again. A millionaire’s not at the top of my list, so I guess I’m just going to have to enjoy this while it lasts!
Emily and I agree that our house looks like a big bunker. It is big, white, and the levels pile like stair steps. The master bedroom is our safe room. We have to keep MREs, water, the radio, a phone, supplies, everything we might need to survive. Their door is reinforced, and has a couple bolts plus peephole. The embassy is taking all sorts of measures to ensure our safety. I can’t wait till all of our stuff arrives next week and we can make this huge house into a home. It is just such an amazing blessing, and I can’t wait to help mom host parties and dinners. I’m already dreaming up a roof conversion into a big patio. We have a huge roof with easy access and in the evenings when there’s a bit of wind and the stars are out is quite nice and peaceful up there.
Earlier this week we got a bit of a wake-up call in the morning news. It was all over the Kuwaiti headlines, and we noticed it on our Yahoo homepage. Six men were arrested on Tuesday that were involved in a plot targeting a US base in Kuwait. OUR US Base in Kuwait. Camp Arafjan is where we go for everything from the dentist to our little Commissary. Here is CNN’s report on the event:
(CNN) -- Kuwaiti security forces arrested six Kuwaitis linked to al Qaeda who planned to attack a U.S. military installation, the country's state-run news agency reported Tuesday. The suspects had planned to bomb Camp Arifjan during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Kuwaiti security sources said.
It is unclear when the arrests took place.
Camp Arifjan, outside Kuwait City near the country's border with Saudi Arabia, is used as a logistical base and transit point for U.S. troops deploying to and from neighboring Iraq, according to the U.S. Defense Department.
U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood congratulated Kuwait "on the reported arrest of terrorists targeting U.S. forces and Kuwait facilities." "... Kuwait has been an outstanding host for the United States armed forces. This is evidence of the strong U.S.-Kuwait partnership against al Qaeda."
The U.S. military had no further information.
The operation was a Kuwaiti-led one, and so the Kuwaitis have the details on the intel and the people they apprehended," said Navy Capt. Jack Hanzlik, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command.
The plot also involved an attack on Kuwait's State Security Service headquarters and other government facilities, according to the Kuwait News Agency, which cited a statement from the Interior Ministry.
An investigation into the alleged plot is ongoing, the news agency reported.
Two suspects confessed Tuesday that they planned to attack Camp Arifjan with an explosives-laden truck during Ramadan, which begins August 21, the security sources said. The other four suspects will be interrogated Wednesday, the sources said.
Camp Arifjan is the forward headquarters for the U.S. Army Central Command in the region. It is a major logistics base for the U.S. military and generally houses thousands of American troops.
Most of the troops stationed there are a component of the 3rd U.S. Army, which is headquartered in Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia, and supports U.S. Central Command missions in the Mideast, including Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the U.S. military.
"We take the security situation at the base and force protection very seriously and coordinate closely with the Kuwaiti government on the security of our bases," said Army Sgt. Major Brian Thomas, an Atlanta-based spokesman for Central Command.
"Camp Arifjan and other bases in Kuwait are very secure. The security at Camp Arifjan is no different than the security at any U.S. base in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Tomorrow we are going to Camp Arifjan for our dental check-ups. I’m sure that the security for getting on base will be much more secure than normal, but am so thankful for all of the checks that may seem irritating and a hassle at the time, but will protect us from threats like this.
Yesterday dad got a call from the Human Resources department because they found me a job! So today I went down to the embassy to pick up all the paperwork. I have a job in the shipping department doing organizing, filing, typing, whatever they ask me to do basically. It is Sunday through Thursday, and 40 hours a week. They pay well and I figure it may open doors into other jobs and possibilities to make this a great gap year and earn some money for school next year. The job is also a good way to meet people because the Embassy hires a bunch of students every summer. I met a guy tonight at the Embassy’s Happy Hour who is going to show me the ropes and meet me for lunch on Sunday. I’m so happy to have a friend already!
Emily and I agree that our house looks like a big bunker. It is big, white, and the levels pile like stair steps. The master bedroom is our safe room. We have to keep MREs, water, the radio, a phone, supplies, everything we might need to survive. Their door is reinforced, and has a couple bolts plus peephole. The embassy is taking all sorts of measures to ensure our safety. I can’t wait till all of our stuff arrives next week and we can make this huge house into a home. It is just such an amazing blessing, and I can’t wait to help mom host parties and dinners. I’m already dreaming up a roof conversion into a big patio. We have a huge roof with easy access and in the evenings when there’s a bit of wind and the stars are out is quite nice and peaceful up there.
Earlier this week we got a bit of a wake-up call in the morning news. It was all over the Kuwaiti headlines, and we noticed it on our Yahoo homepage. Six men were arrested on Tuesday that were involved in a plot targeting a US base in Kuwait. OUR US Base in Kuwait. Camp Arafjan is where we go for everything from the dentist to our little Commissary. Here is CNN’s report on the event:
(CNN) -- Kuwaiti security forces arrested six Kuwaitis linked to al Qaeda who planned to attack a U.S. military installation, the country's state-run news agency reported Tuesday. The suspects had planned to bomb Camp Arifjan during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Kuwaiti security sources said.
It is unclear when the arrests took place.
Camp Arifjan, outside Kuwait City near the country's border with Saudi Arabia, is used as a logistical base and transit point for U.S. troops deploying to and from neighboring Iraq, according to the U.S. Defense Department.
U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood congratulated Kuwait "on the reported arrest of terrorists targeting U.S. forces and Kuwait facilities." "... Kuwait has been an outstanding host for the United States armed forces. This is evidence of the strong U.S.-Kuwait partnership against al Qaeda."
The U.S. military had no further information.
The operation was a Kuwaiti-led one, and so the Kuwaitis have the details on the intel and the people they apprehended," said Navy Capt. Jack Hanzlik, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command.
The plot also involved an attack on Kuwait's State Security Service headquarters and other government facilities, according to the Kuwait News Agency, which cited a statement from the Interior Ministry.
An investigation into the alleged plot is ongoing, the news agency reported.
Two suspects confessed Tuesday that they planned to attack Camp Arifjan with an explosives-laden truck during Ramadan, which begins August 21, the security sources said. The other four suspects will be interrogated Wednesday, the sources said.
Camp Arifjan is the forward headquarters for the U.S. Army Central Command in the region. It is a major logistics base for the U.S. military and generally houses thousands of American troops.
Most of the troops stationed there are a component of the 3rd U.S. Army, which is headquartered in Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia, and supports U.S. Central Command missions in the Mideast, including Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the U.S. military.
"We take the security situation at the base and force protection very seriously and coordinate closely with the Kuwaiti government on the security of our bases," said Army Sgt. Major Brian Thomas, an Atlanta-based spokesman for Central Command.
"Camp Arifjan and other bases in Kuwait are very secure. The security at Camp Arifjan is no different than the security at any U.S. base in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Tomorrow we are going to Camp Arifjan for our dental check-ups. I’m sure that the security for getting on base will be much more secure than normal, but am so thankful for all of the checks that may seem irritating and a hassle at the time, but will protect us from threats like this.
Yesterday dad got a call from the Human Resources department because they found me a job! So today I went down to the embassy to pick up all the paperwork. I have a job in the shipping department doing organizing, filing, typing, whatever they ask me to do basically. It is Sunday through Thursday, and 40 hours a week. They pay well and I figure it may open doors into other jobs and possibilities to make this a great gap year and earn some money for school next year. The job is also a good way to meet people because the Embassy hires a bunch of students every summer. I met a guy tonight at the Embassy’s Happy Hour who is going to show me the ropes and meet me for lunch on Sunday. I’m so happy to have a friend already!
Throughout the past week dad and I have been meeting people and all of the parents promised to bring their teens to Happy Hour today, and sure enough they all showed up. I had to run around for a while guessing who some of the teens were and matching them with parents I had already met. Eventually I had a tableful of teen girls all chatting and enjoying dinner provided by Ruby Tuesdays. Emily met 2 other 10th graders, a 9th grader, and an 11th grader. The heat wasn’t too bad tonight, but eventually it got to us all, so we moved inside where a bunch of guys soon joined us. There was a big group of us talking and sharing stories about the American School of Kuwait. After listening to many mixed reviews we decided that Emily’s just going to have to go and form her own opinion of the school.
Well, it seems weird, but tomorrow is our Sunday. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to going to work on Sunday and waking up for church on Friday. I think we are checking out the Anglican church this week and just hope dad’s map mission will be successful and we can find it easily!
Well, it seems weird, but tomorrow is our Sunday. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to going to work on Sunday and waking up for church on Friday. I think we are checking out the Anglican church this week and just hope dad’s map mission will be successful and we can find it easily!
