The 140,000 or so U.S. servicemen and women serving in Iraq do their best to celebrate the holiday season American style, shopping at the Px for gifts and holiday ornaments. Plus, how U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq spend their leisure time and how they celebrate Christmas Day.
— Marketplace and Weekend America, December 18, 24 and 25, 2004
In April, Iraqi soldiers faltered badly, joining with insurgents or deserting their posts. But the Iraqis say they'll perform better now, in part because they scrapped liberal hiring practices.
— Marketplace, November 23, 2004
Western reporters in Iraq remain limited in their access and mobility. American reporters and Iraqi translators discuss the limitations and challenges of covering Iraq.
— Marketplace, November 10, 2004
People in energy-rich Iraq are lining up for blocks to gas-up their cars.
— Marketplace, November 8, 2004
After 19 months of insurgency, some clerics are wondering if the cost of Jihad is simply too high.
— Marketplace, October 14, 2004
The risk of helping Americans in Iraq
Hundreds of Iraqis working even the most menial jobs for the American authorities have been gunned down, kidnapped or murdered. A report report about one young man who signed up to help the Americans.
— Marketplace, September 29, 2004
The U.S. and the interim Iraqi government have made a point of retaking cities in Iraq like Fallujah and Ramadi that have become havens for insurgents. These no-go areas are a big impediment to elections in January and improving the country's security . But Iraq faces another security challenge: no-go roads.
— Marketplace, September 21, 2004
The
state of Iraq
A report from the ground after a particularly violent week in
Iraq.
— Weekend America, September 18, 2004
A
bustling airline industry - in a land far, far away
Now here's something we haven't heard in a while: Marketplace
has learned of a surprise comeback in the airline industry.
It just so happens to be in one of the most turbulent places
on the planet.
— Marketplace,
September 15, 2004
We've been hearing a lot in recent weeks about kidnappings in Baghdad. But not all of them are politically motivated. In many cases they simply involve the need for money.
Terrorist reality TV live and in Iraq
TV in Iraq has become a main conduit for terrorists, and a constant reminder of an ongoing state of insecurity. Now there is a backlash - a market for a kind of television that is distinctly escapist.
Search For Good Times, in Iraq
Flooded with religious pilgrims from all over the Shia world, Najaf and Karbala were experiencing an unprecedented economic boom that has since come to an end.
For Iraqis, an Everyday Struggle with Violence
How ordinary Iraqis are dealing with everyday life, while coping with ongoing violence.
— NPR's Day-to Day, June 18, 2004
To avoid becoming a target, many foreigners in Iraq are trying to disguise their identities. Contractors hauling military equipment wear civilian clothes and drive commercial trucks and security guards use Russian-made weapons.
It's that time of year when a lot of people are graduating from college. But imagine finishing school and entering the battered economy of Iraq.
Though the clerics still hold themselves out as Iran's spiritual and political leaders - we find that a growing number of Iranians are tapping an American-style industry for personal guidance.
As production methods have changed, Persian rugs have lost some of their allure.
March is international women's month. While women in the West struggle for equal rights in the workplace, women in the Islamic Republic of Iran struggle just to stay alive. But some are able to thrive by creating new kinds of business.
A look at how Iraqis are faring, one year later and One year later, how are Iraqis doing?
The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq started one year ago. Now that the euphoria of throwing off Saddam Hussein's regime has long since faded, there is heavy unemployment. Some in smaller cities say that except for newfound religious freedom, life has not improved much.
— Marketplace, March 18 & 19, 2004
Banned Reform Candidates Urge Iran Vote Boycott
— NPR's Day-to-Day , February 20, 2004
Twenty-five years after the Islamic revolution
The generations are divided over the outcome of the revolution. Once there were Iranians who believed they saw Khomeni's face in the moon. Today some of their children believe in nothing at all. Iran's young population is restless and questioning all that went before -- including the grip of the clerics upholding the revolution.
— CBC Dispatches, February 11, 2004
Iraqi boy band hopes for a break
Boy bands are a dime a dozen in the U.S., but not in Iraq. One musical group in Baghdad is trying to make it big at a time when the country's citizens are just trying to make it through another day.
— Marketplace, January 28, 2004
Plastic surgery gains popularity in Iran and Dispatches
For the mullahs of Iran, political image has never really been an issue. But putting on the best face is important to your average Iranian. Which is why so many of them opt for cosmetic surgery. And word's getting round. Tehran's getting known as the new L.A., the low rent vanity factory of the middle East.
— Marketplace, January 21, 2004 and CBC Dispatches, January 28, 2004
Outgoing soldiers offer advice to replacement troops
As the U.S. military will undergo its largest troop rotation since World War II, tens of thousands of soldiers will be moved around the globe in a complex effort to relieve those serving in Iraq. What advice do U.S. soldiers in Iraq have for their coming replacements?
— Marketplace, January 20, 2004
Small businesses looking for big money in Iraq
Not every contract to rebuild Iraq goes to huge American businesses. Some adventurous entrepreneurs are trying to make it big as the country struggles to regain its footing.
— Marketplace, January 13, 2004
Iraq's booming concrete barrier business
As security becomes more important, the demand is high in Iraq for concrete barriers -- and businesses are struggling to keep up. The terrorism scare has created a whole new growth industry in Iraq -- concrete barriers.
— Marketplace, January 8, 2004
Popular Iraqi music calling for resistance
Not all attacks launched against U.S. troops in Iraq are made by guns and bombs -- some are made from cassette decks and CD players.
