In this photo released by the U.S. military, Stephen Colbert gets a military establishment fad haircut from General Raymond Odierno at Camp Victory in Baghdad on Sunday. BAGHDAD -- It's official. Stephen Colbert has declared superiority in the battle in Iraq. But the apex U.S. commander in the sticks says not so fast.
Colbert, wearing a conceal satisfy and tie, brought "The Colbert Report" - Comedy Central's partisan irony in which he plays a cautious TV pundit - to hundreds of U.S. troops at Camp Victory, the U.S. fighting headquarters on the western periphery of Baghdad.
He drew animated cheers from the uniformed audience when he poked clowning at the experience that many of them have been deployed to Iraq multiple times and could end up in Afghanistan as soon as the U.S. energy there accelerates. "It must be kindly here in Iraq because I arrange some of you keep an eye on coming back again and again," he said during the taping of the sooner show on Sunday.
"You've earned so many habitual flyer miles, you've earned a gratis ticket to Afghanistan." But the loudest roars came when his elementary guest, Gen. Ray Odierno, accepted a videotaped purchase order from President Barack Obama to clip Colbert's head. The towering, bald inclusive started the employment with an galvanizing razor, although a stylist finished it off.
The back-and-forth was humorous, but it took on of consequence undertones as Colbert sought to toss a searchlight on the declining concentration paid to the 6-year-old joust with in Iraq. Colbert, who traveled to Iraq from Kuwait on Friday on live a martial send plane, has said he was spurred to mould the tour when he noticed budgetary info coverage eclipsing reports from Baghdad. The four shows, which were being taped in the domed marble entry-way at Saddam Hussein's quondam Al Faw Palace, will atmosphere Monday through Thursday next week at 11:30 p.m. EDT. Claiming the take up arms must be over because nobody's talking about it anymore, Colbert invoked the talent of wire small screen to "officially broadcast we won the Iraq war.
" He offered a careen of successes and commentary to further his point. They included find weapons of size destruction, which was deemed "easier than we thought," and influential the troops that President Barack Obama should deploy them to the struggling General Motors. However, his initially guest, Odierno, disagreed the strife has ended. "We're not from A to Z agile to say victory," he said. "Things are striking into the open but again, it's about bringing long-term stability.
" Colbert, who sat at a desk propped up by sandbags painted to simulate an American flag, responded by asking Odierno if he can put on long-term tenacity to the United States when he's done in Iraq. He also joked about the money-making crisis, congratulating a servicewoman in the audience who recently got his college point while serving in Iraq for being the lone 2009 mark with a job. Colbert has promoted the stumble for weeks but because the naval urged caution, he only trumpeted a generalized visit to "the Persian Gulf." He showed a box claiming he himself didn't differentiate his target until he got off the smooth and notable threw a shoe at him.
That was a connection to a December rumour forum at which an Iraqi newswoman threw a shoe at then-President George W. Bush. He also made nonsense of himself with a at one time taped skit that showed him arriving at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in a pull out limousine for a "the plenary 10 hours" of central training, which included him struggling to do push-ups and sit-ups. Odierno later told him he had too much hair's breadth to be a soldier, prompting the crewcut.
"Definitely the highlight was whereas him let go his hair," said Spc. Ryan MacLeod, 35, of Greenville, South Carolina. Former Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain also made a flabbergast suggestion in a videoclip in which he thanked the troops for their secondment and reminded them to unarmed their muskets.
Celebrities have many a time traveled to Iraq to contemplate the troops. But the series of half-hour shows - dubbed "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando" - standard the leading organize anyone has seed a taped show from Iraq from a walk intended to company U.S. troops. USO major legitimate John Hanson said the origination faced a dominating setback when a sandstorm grounded the party on Saturday, forcing it to abrogate plans for an outing.
Both the nutter Colbert (silent "t") and the palpable Colbert (pronounced "t"), a Catholic group man, are hot supporters of the troops. He has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Yellow Ribbon Fund (a donation that assists injured post members and their families), and he's a stay colleague of DonorsChoose.org, which is raising currency for the indoctrination of children of parents in the military. The jaunt came about when previous Assistant Secretary of Defense Bing West suggested it after an vetting finish July on "The Colbert Report.
" The show sent about 30 making workers, about a third of the show's harmonious staff, to Iraq. Troops in the audience said they enjoyed Colbert's correspondent moment humor. "I especially rise the certainty that he could fashion fun of both sides and you'd get the idea something and you'd laugh," said Chaplain Lt. Col. Barbara Sherer, 52, from Springfield, Missouri.
