Summary

In Chapter 27, Jack debates the legitimacy of Alia’s story, citing that there are dates and times that do not add up in her account. It is payday for the Sahwa militias, and Fat Mukhtar tells Jack that a fatwa has been placed on Ibrahim, Saif, and the Iraqi soldiers who dug up Shaba’s remains. Dominguez also tells Jack that the split-platoon patrols are a bad idea, and that he has heard rumors about the night patrols, saying they operate in a “[totally] different Iraq” (192). Jack tells Saif that he needs to know where Rana lives, and they agree to trade the information for five laser sights for Saif’s troops. As Jack returns to his quarters, a fight breaks out among the Sahwa militias and Jack reflects that this has become Shaba’s legacy. He returns to his quarters and tells...