The Billion Dollar Baghdad Heist

The year was 2003. No Doubt, Sting, and Shania Twain had recently headlined the Super Bowl halftime show. Chicago had just won the Oscar for Best Picture. “Friends” was still king of the cable-waves. Wicked debuted on Broadway, and low-rise jeans were all the rage. Twenty whole years ago. Sorry to make you feel old. And in March of 2003, in a highly controversial political move, the United States invaded Iraq. But today we’re not going to debate the merits of invading a country on dubious, at best, intel, however, we are hopping across a pond or two to a caper that happened on the eve of the Iraqi invasion and involved 1 billion, yes billion with a “b,” dollars.

-----

Fig Margarita (Cocktail)

• 8 figs

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 parts tequila

• ½ part simple syrup

• 1 part lime juice

• 1 part triple sec

• 2 parts fig syrup (make in step 1)

1. Fig syrup: Put sugar and cut figs in a bowl, muddle and cover; put in refrigerator for at least 24 hours, strain before using

2. Add tequila, simple syrup, lime juice, and fig syrup to shaker with ice

3. Shake, strain over fresh ice into sugar or salt rimmed glass; enjoy!

Fig Margarita (Mocktail)

• 8 figs

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 parts nonalcoholic tequila

• ½ part simple syrup

• 1 part lime juice

• 1 part orange juice

• 2 parts fig syrup (make in step 1)

1. Fig syrup: Put sugar and cut figs in a bowl, muddle and cover; put in refrigerator for at least 24 hours, strain before using

2. Add non-alcoholic tequila, simple syrup, lime juice, and fig syrup to shaker with ice

3. Shake, strain over fresh ice into sugar or salt rimmed glass; enjoy!

Nonalcoholic tequila: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0866DCX32?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder-t1_k7_1_6&amp=&crid=82J3KBU2G89F&amp=&sprefix=nonalc

-----

LIVE show request! https://forms.gle/r7cdtZhfgqLSEbkF6

Podcast, and all social media links: https://www.capersandcocktails.com

-----

Ingredients for next week (cocktail): brandy, lemon juice, triple sec, cherry liqueur, fine sugar, lemon wedge

Ingredients for next week (mocktail): unsweetened apple juice, orange juice, cherry juice,, lemon juice, fine sugar, lemon wedge

-----

Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. My videos are always made by researching a large variety of sources, and any appearance of similarities is purely coincidental. For any potential issues, or to reach out to me for any reason, please email margsandmayhem@gmail.com.

-----

Sources:

• “Saddam's son took $1bn from bank on eve of war” - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/may/07/iraq.garyyounge

• “The Story Behind Saddam Hussein’s Massive $1 Billion Bank Robbery” - https://www.military.com/off-duty/2021/08/11/story-behind-saddam-husseins-massive-1-billion-bank-robbery.html

• “AFTEREFFECTS: PRESIDENTAL THEFT; Bank Official Says Hussein's Son Took $1 Billion in Cash” - https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/world/aftereffects-presidental-theft-bank-official-says-hussein-s-son-took-1-billion.html

• “SADDAM & SON PULLED STUNNING $1B BANK JOB” - https://nypost.com/2003/05/06/saddam-son-pulled-stunning-1b-bank-job/

• “Saddam Hussein tops list of 5 biggest bank heists” - https://www.worldfinance.com/banking/saddam-hussein-tops-list-of-5-biggest-bank-heists

• “History of Figs” - https://www.thespruceeats.com/history-of-figs-1807598

• “Qusay Hussein” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qusay_Hussein

• “Uday Hussein” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uday_Hussein

• “Saddam Hussein” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_Hussein

-----

Music Credit: "The Cool Side"

Artist: Jonathan Boyle

Composer: Jonathan Boyle

Audio Source: PremiumBeat.com

License: #4490172