So here's whats what.

I will be attending University in Europe next year - over Easter Holiday a friend and I will be flying to Istanbul and getting a 3 day train to Tehran for some R&R (and basically the experience).

Long story short I was thinking of hiring a guard and maybe making an excursion into Northern Iraq which seems to be the safest area. My friend mentioned the idea of maybe getting another guard and trying to find our way into Baghdad for a day or so...My question - what risk do you suggest we run of getting kidnapped or killed, we're both 20 years old, white, and speak English and very, very poor Arabic. I suggest that this is a bad idea but my friend seems all for it...I think I might just cool my heels in Tehran but what do you guys think?

That is a horrible idea plain and simple. Northern Iraq and the Kurdish areas are probably significantly safer, but still that is a huge risk. Baghdad should be out of the question. Why would you want to take such an outrageous risk?

I agree with the stapler. That is an absolutely awful and clearly not well though-out idea. You wouldn't even be able to get into Iraq without permission, and that is quite simply not going to happen.

It's too bad, an old boss of mine said Iraq under Saddam (in the 80s) was actually quite an intriguing place to travel through -- of course, he was still scared shitless, but I'm sure he got a unique perspective from travelling there.

Ah, Iraq.

The one place in the entire world I can say that I have no desire to visit anytime soon. I did Cuba last summer as an American, would love to go see Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, etc etc... but Iraq is a place I'm content to stay away from for a good number of years. It just seems like a horrible idea... you wouldn't be able to trust anybody, meet anybody, soak up any real culture, and would most likely be bogged down in Kevlar and a hotel room all day. Unless I was actually doing paid, war reporting... with an arranged professional guard unit... I can say without blinking, "fuck that."

If you do go though, make sure you do it right. It could be your fucking head. Literally.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...8&keywordid=73

You do know that alot of parts of Afganistan are still warzones, do you?

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Yes, I do. I'm not saying its NOT dangerous, or anything of the sort. I'm just saying that I personally feel that Afghanistan would be a much more rewarding, perhaps even a more relaxed trip than Iraq.

There was a phase in my life when I really wanted to be a war correspondent, and to this day Afghanistan intrigues me as a place I would love to visit, assuming I did my homework and plan the trip right. I just get a different vibe from Iraq right now. Everywhere I drove/walked I'd be worried about IEDs blowing up, etc. That, and I get the impression that Afghanistan is not quite as completely shattered as Iraq is right now. Still fighting, still a lot of bad things going on... but I feel like it'd be easier to experience the Afghani people, than it would be in war torn Iraq.

Perhaps these reasons are all ungrounded, and simply not the case. Could be. I'm just saying its the way I personally feel. Afghanistan sounds appealing. Iraq, not so much.

The reason I was thinking of going there is because I am currently studying to be a journalist and I think it would be a good experience for any books I might write in the future. After further thought you guys are probably right, Baghdad would not be a good idea - I'm still debating Kurdistan though...And you don't need authorization to go in - apparently the border is very porous...a few dollars to grease the wheels can go a long way.

Definitely hit up the link I posted above. Lonely planet seems to have a somewhat active Kurdistan traveling community. Worth looking into... I've heard some seriously frightening horror stories, but for the most part it seems like it would be one hell of an experience, especially with your interest in journalism.

Good luck, be safe, etc.

You know the Turkish/Iraqi border is a warzone right?

I don't think any of the Afghani people really want to be experienced. Not saying you're a bad person or anything, it's just that from what I've read, they seem to pretty xenophobic. A lot of the people, especially the Pashtuns, live 1000 years in the past and are pretty closed socially. These are the people who have been forced to fight the Mongols, Persians, British, Soviets, and now the US. I just think you might get a lot of blank, uninterested stares as you try to communicate.

There is also still a significant amount of Taliban activity, especially near the Pakistani border. Combine that with a country covered by awful terrain, I just think that trip might suck.

To be honest though, I don't know anything about the city of Kabul... that may be cool.