A bird pin by Anton Lachmann worn in 1996
All of a sudden, a poem came out in the [government-controlled] Iraqi press that compared me to many things, among them an “unparalleled serpent.” It reminded me of a snake pin I had at home, so when I was scheduled to meet with Iraqi officials again, I decided that I would wear it. As I was coming out of the meeting, there was a huddle of journalists, and one of them asked why I was wearing the snake pin. When the cameras zoomed in, I smiled and said it was just my way of sending a message.
