Hummer Sales on the Rise in Baghdad: Biggest Customers are US-backed Iraqi Officials

This just underscores how destructive the US occupation of Iraq has been in every possible way. As Obama makes his big announcement on GM, a report emerges that chronicles the sky-rocketing success of Hummer in Baghdad. The New York Times profiles one of the largest Hummer dealerships outside of the US. It is in Baghdad. Not very surprising: the biggest customers “tend to be [US-backed Iraqi] government officials.” Coincidentally, “the new government has voted itself enormous pay raises.”

Excerpt:

It is called, in English, “Al Sultan for Trading Cars.”

An American diplomat declared that it was the biggest Hummer dealership outside of the United States, a fact that seemed too good to check. Unfortunately, Mr. Hilli has checked. “It’s the biggest one in Baghdad, though, that’s for sure,” he said.

Never mind that General Motors, Hummer’s struggling parent company, may scrap the brand or sell it to someone else.

“Iraqis love them because they’re really a symbol of power,” said Mr. Hilli, a chubby 37-year-old who could not stop chuckling. Nonetheless, he spoke with authority, since he was his own first customer.

The Hillis said they had sold more than 20 H3s, about one every 10 days, even in the midst of plummeting oil prices and economic turmoil. Their biggest customers tend to be government officials. That is not necessarily a sign of corruption, since the new government has voted itself enormous pay raises.

…

Iraqis are paying historically high prices for gasoline. At $1.40 a gallon, that would not break any American hearts, but not long ago it was 19 cents. The increase had no effect on sales of these notorious gas-guzzlers, though. “If you can afford this car, you don’t care how much gasoline costs,” Mr. Hilli said.