# What the heck is that building "across the street" they're always showing in Baghdad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 25, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970 "2003-03-25T05:44:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/1 "2003-03-25T05:44:55Z")
Since the beginning of the war CNN (and I think other channels) has shown a low-slung modernish building on the corner of a Bahgdad intersection. I’m sure the building is nothing special and was chosen merely because it was across the street from an easy place to hang a camera. But out of curiousity, what the heck is this place that has got to be one of the most televised structures in the world these days? It’s light-colored stone or concrete, two-stories tall, with windows running along its length and an overhanging top floor. It looks like a Middle-American modern college library or professional building. ---
**Author:** ![honkytonkwillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@honkytonkwillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/honkytonkwillie)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/2 "2003-03-25T09:04:06Z")
Don’t know about the building, but Carol Costello, the late night CNN anchor looks just like Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/3 "2003-03-25T09:05:50Z")
I think it’s a new sports bar called “Balls.” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/4 "2003-03-25T16:18:15Z")
Probably the synagogue. Or the PFLAG meeting hall. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/5 "2003-03-25T16:27:50Z")
I thought you’d be asking about the really tall spire or whatever it is that looks just like a dildo. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/6 "2003-03-25T16:57:07Z")
Is this that parking-garage type structure that always has armed guards standing at the entrance? ---
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/7 "2003-03-25T17:05:20Z")
Yea I was curious about this as well. Looks like a simple office building to me. MtM ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/8 "2003-03-25T17:13:35Z")
Isn’t the camera at the Ministry of Information? Maybe it’s a building associated with them. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/9 "2003-03-25T17:16:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\*I thought you’d be asking about the really tall spire or whatever it is that looks just like a dildo. \*\* I thought that was the Mother of All Battles Mosque. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/10 "2003-03-27T12:38:24Z")
I was watching _Newsnight with Aaron Brown_ on CNN last night and Aaron Brown mentioned what the mystery building is. His comment is burried a bit more than half way down this transcript: [http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0303/26/asb.00.html](http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0303/26/asb.00.html) > [@](#): > > Just because the question gets asked a lot, because we use this shot a lot, that low-rise building right in front of you is a bank. It has no strategic importance. And it’s just where we could put a camera. It’s one of four cameras that are around the city and still operating around the city. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/11 "2003-03-27T13:16:39Z")
Good answer, **rsa**. My question would be; Why haven`t any Iraqi`s gone up there and pulled the plug on these cameras yet? They must know that the whole world is watching via these cameras. There is no secret as to their location either. Why? ---
**Author:** ![LowerLip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/839c29/32.png) [@LowerLip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LowerLip)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/12 "2003-03-27T13:22:50Z")
I have a question here regarding the Baghdad cam: Why do we see people walking and cars moving? I have seen some people get picked up by a taxi or someone giving them a lift. If there is shrapnel falling, is it that important to go out and get a cup of coffee? I sure don’t see a whole lot of ‘skyline’ activity here. Maybe the camera is pointing in a direction away from Baghdad. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/13 "2003-03-27T13:28:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shoshana \* > \*\*Probably the synagogue. \*\* I’m guessing you’re being facetious, but there are in fact synagogues in Baghdad. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-that-building-across-the-street-theyre-always-showing-in-baghdad/163970/14 "2003-03-27T13:34:53Z")
Peter Arnett was practically swearing up and down that the MOI was not going to be a target. He’s the Squire of Bag End…err Dahd! So it got smacked the other day. I am sure that some low level Lt. Col called the ministry five minutes before and told those eggheads to get the yolk outta there!