Pilgrimage
contributes to Iraq's reconstruction effort
Iranian religious pilgrims are streaming into Iraq to visit
the tombs of the Imams -- and they're bringing much-needed hard
currency. A fledgling tourist industry has sprung up in the
unlikeliest of places, post-war Iraq. But as with most tourism,
the extra business won't come without a cultural price.
— Marketplace, December 23, 2003
French chef offers recipes for recovery
Pastry chef Claude
Abry has plied his trade all over the Middle East -- and now,
he has his sights set on Baghdad. A decade ago, the French pastry
chef gave up France's fancy pastry shops to bring his talents
to the Middle East.
— Marketplace, October 22, 2003
Iraq is a bargain-hunter’s paradise
Iraq may be a precarious
place to live since the war, but for those living there, it
can be a shopper's paradise.
— Marketplace, September 30, 2003
Will
U.S. bring in "soldiers for hire" in Iraq? and
Nation-building
in Iraq profitable for U.S. companies and Dispatches
U.S. forces are stretched thin now. While there's talk of activating
more reserves, the pressure to come up with more troops in Iraq
raises a more controversial option: hiring private military
companies for duties that free up soldiers to take on tougher
chores. The U.S. government is also using a number of private
companies with specific skills and experience for nation-building.
— Marketplace, September 22 and 29, 2003, and CBC Dispatches, September 17, 2003
Iraq's security problem not welcoming to foreign companies
One of the main flourishing
industries in Iraq is the security business -- to protect foreign
companies that come to Iraq to set up shop.
— Marketplace, September 18, 2003
Iraq's spotty phone service a problem for many
Iraq's entrepreneurs
are spending more time out of the office doing business than
behind the desk. Some Iraqis are charging a fee to use their
satellite phones. But a bigger non-monetary problem with having
no telephone service is the loss of "piece of mind" that comes
with having a phone.
— Marketplace, September 11, 2003
Kidnapping crime wave grips Iraq
No one's sure how
many people have been kidnapped, since most don't report cases
to Iraq's newly formed police because they have no weapons and
little authority -- but the tales of the incidents have shaken
Iraqis.
— Marketplace radio, September 4, 2003
Sabotage
against Iraq's infrastructure is costing the economy billions
Fueled by lack of jobs, Iraqi clerics tap into economic
discontent .
— Marketplace, August 18, 2003
Uday, Qusay Hussein informant villanized by Iraqis
Some of the people
that hated Saddam say they wouldn't have turned in the sons
in to the Americans for money. But not all consider the informant
a scoundrel: some say that he may have turned in the Hussein
brothers to settle a score. Perhaps, the lure of revenge is
stronger than money or family.
— Marketplace, July 29, 2003
Financial woes of U.S. soldiers on indefinite tours of duty
U.S. soldiers who
expected to leave Iraq soon are finding that their tour of duty
may be extended for an indefinite period of time. That's having
an impact on all parts of their lives, especially their finances.
— Marketplace, July 22, 2003
Soldiers trying to find “spenders” behind Iraq attacks
U.S. forces have
offered a bounty for information leading to Saddam's death or
proof of his death. But the U.S. isn't the only country using
money as a tool in the war with Iraq.
— Marketplace, July 14, 2003
Up until the 1980s,
many Iraqis loved to drink. But Saddam came in and punished
political dissidents, and in 1996, he banned drinking in all
public places -- but things have changed. Now that "old man
Saddam" is gone, the party has begun again.
— Marketplace, June 30, 2003
The Upper Crust In Newport, R.I.
Though years have passed, the upper-crust old money set for whom the word "summer" remains a verb still flock to the Island. Now, the rich are surrounded by a mishmash of class strata in America: the upper-middle class yacht owners, the gawking middle-class tourists, and the new working class.
— Savvy Traveler, June 13, 2003
From the Arab Street to the Arab Mall
While the ancient stores and labyrinthine alleys that make up-the Arab street have, for decades, brewed anti-American sentiments, the new shopping areas are more, well, Western . Dubai's City Centre shopping mall is massive and ever expanding, filled to the brim with many stores, such as an IKEA, a Virgin Megastore, JC Penny's and a Baskin Robbins. — Marketplace, June 5, 2003
Now that Saddam is
gone, many Iraqi citizens are celebrating their freedom -- although
most Iraqi women have a little less to celebrate. As Borzou
Daragahi reports, many women have made legal gains, but they're
still bound by rigid cultural traditions.
— Marketplace, May 7, 2003
Kurdish
Gun Trade
— Marketplace, April 30, 2003
The Looting of Baba Gur Gur
— Marketplace, April 23, 2003
Arab-Kurd
Fight
Now that Saddam Hussein's regime is over in Iraq, many Kurds
want to return to the homes the government took away from them.
But in the neighborhoods of newly liberated Kirkuk, their property
has since been redistributed to Arab families, who aren't exactly
willing to just pack up and move out.
— Marketplace, April 22, 2003
The Rebirth of Biyare
— Marketplace, April 8, 2003
Letter from Bani Maqem
— Marketplace, March 28, 2003
Letter from Chamchamal
— Marketplace, March 19, 2003
Letter
from Irbil
— Marketplace, March 4, 2003
The reporter recently
acquired a suit to protect against a chemical attack and wonders
how much he should wear it, and how much good it would be to
him if the worst happened. But there are ethical considerations
associated with using the suit -- and he's not sure how put
the thing on.
— Marketplace, February 24, 2003
There are no ATMs,
finding a driver is quite difficult, and safety has become a
major issue. While the region's business has flourished over
the years, a U.S. war on Iraq threatens to undo everything.
And, it's this anticipation of war that's changing daily life
there.
— Marketplace, February 11, 2003
With war in Iraq a distinct possibility again, the country's Kurdish population isn't rushing to install any in-ground pools.
After the last Gulf War they tried to rise up against Saddam, but his forces hunted Kurdish rebels and civilians into exile.
If there's a next time, civilians will be rising up all right -- right up the nearest mountain, to wait out Gulf War Two. In the meantime, life in the Kurdish enclave looks normal enough...until you scratch the surface.
— CBC Dispatches, January 15, 2003
Iraq's
"Oil For Food" Program
— Marketplace, January 15, 2003
