During a post about one week ago, I characterized this police station as one of the most dangerous places in Iraq. The Military Police who live there are under constant threat. Every time I go there, I know it’s a wonder that our people have not been overrun. Clearly–not for want of trying on the enemy’s part–there have been serious firefights at the station. In fact, the last time I spent the night, on election day, the place was rocking.

According to CNN’s Senior International Correspondent, Nic Robertson, the “station at Baquba is no ordinary one–it is a joint command and control center, the nerve hub of operations in the area.”

It may be all that, but I call it the Mortar Magnet. The American MPs who live there can hardly spackle fast enough to keep the holes filled. Whenever I have stayed the night at the Mortar Magnet, they put me in “The Rocket Room,” so named because a large rocket blasted through the wall some months ago and landed in the sleeping area. Luckily, the warhead did not explode. But it certainly added a special ambiance to the place.

The Mortar Magnet isn’t really all bad. After a while, the drying spackle starts to look like wallpaper. And the Military Police have a small gym there, with a big screen TV, where they can see themselves under attack on CNN.

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