Monthly Archives: March 2009

Learning K-9 techniques in Hillah.

Read the whole story here.

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School girls in Hillah.

Below, you can watch their pretty smiles as they receive school supplies.

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Women businesses in Iraq.

Iraqi women learning how to market and sustain their own business at a conference given by Joint Contracting Commander Iraq Afghanistan (JCCIA). Continue reading

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Babil Provincial Reconstruction Team’s work…

…in Hillah:  increasing demand for honeybees. Notice that it is women who are involved in this endeavor.

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Taking Chance.

A few weeks ago I posted Kenneth’s description of what he witnessed leaving Iraq:  a fallen soldier’s last journey home. I noticed a comment on Kenneth’s blog: “A very moving story indeed. This is like a scene from Taking Chance. … Continue reading

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Empowering young women: Women2Women conference.

The US Embassy in Iraq has announced an upcoming cultural exchange program for young women (15-19) to be held August 1-8, 2009, at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. The Women2Women conference is sponsored by Empower Peace, and it is … Continue reading

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ABC News: Where things stand in Iraq.

All this week, ABC News’ Terry McCarthy is having a series on the changes that have occurred in Iraq. Just click on the titles below to watch some of these videos. The changes are amazing. Road Trip: Iraq. A Rebirth … Continue reading

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The Slain Soldier of Salah Ad-Din‏.

“Also on Saturday, a U.S. soldier was killed during an attack on an American patrol in Salaheddin province in northern Iraq, the U.S. military announced. It was only the third combat fatality suffered by U.S. forces in Iraq this month.” … Continue reading

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Life under communism.

Living in a totalitarian state, and knowing that the KGB was listening in and watching all our moves, was an experience like no other. In the short time I lived in Moscow, pre-dissolution of the USSR, it was always unnerving … Continue reading

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The World War II story behind Adidas and Puma.

It turns out that the predecessor of the sports shoe companies Adidas and Puma was the manufacturer of the “Panzerschreck”, the German version of the bazooka. And the American GIs who debated whether to destroy the building where the anti-tank … Continue reading

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Learning language seeing colors and numbers (synesthesia).

Apparently, 1 out of 200 college students has synesthesia. One explanation for this is that synesthetes played with those colorful magnetic numbers and letters that, at least in my home, graced the fridge door for quite a long time.  I’ve … Continue reading

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Babil Province, Iraq: the good and the bad.

Yesterday I posted the good news. Today, I find that the car bomb that hit the cattle market in Iraq actually detonated near Hillah. Although it is described as one of the largest attacks in recent history, the area in … Continue reading

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Provincial Reconstruction Team work in Musayyib, Iraq.

Last October Kenneth reported on a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Musayyib. The Multi-National Corps press release had this quote: “For a local government to work well, a community must believe in its future and in the capacity and determination of its … Continue reading

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Provincial Reconstruction Team – Babil Province, Hillah

(UPDATE:  Below is a video of the ceremony before distributing wheelchairs to Iraqi citizens.) (UPDATE:  Thanks, Gateway Pundit, for posting this!). As some of you know, Kenneth has been in Iraq for a year.  He has been unable to update … Continue reading

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Military reliability.

Shamelessly taken from Blackfive. I hope they don’t mind.  I think the photo conveys a very powerful message. A commenter at Blackfive says: In Korea I learned that I was not just a US Army soldier, but an Ambassador of … Continue reading

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