¶ … War in Iraq
How Has it Impacted Basra?
Since the war in Iraq has begun, it has become almost impossible to turn on your radio or television without hearing about what has taken place in regard to Saddam Hussein or with our troops so many miles from home. Long before the official first shots were fired, the debate of whether the United States should pursue a war with Iraq has been hot and heavy. But, whether you are for or against the war, most of us can not help feeling a sense of anticipatory anxiety as we wonder what will happen next. But, as an Iraqi citizen, the anticipation must be very frightening to say the least. It is hard not to wonder what the long-term effects will be for the citizens of Iraq. Other than the city of Baghdad, the average American citizen probably knows very little about the rest of Iraq. Although the United States and the coalition troops ultimate goal is most likely to capture the historic capitol city of Baghdad, second on the list of objectives would definitely be the city Basra.
Basra is Iraq's second largest city and also its principal port. It's population is near five hundred thousand inhabitants. Basra has many commercial advantages because of its location near oil fields and it is only 75 miles from the Persian Gulf. The city sports many oil refineries and petroleum products, grains, wool, and dates are heavily exported. Basra was founded (A.D. 636) by the caliph Umar I and was a cultural center under Harun ar-Rashid and later declined with the decay of the Abbasid caliphate. Its possession by Iraq has been disputed by the Persians and the Turks. During World War I, the British occupied Basra and used its ports.. After World War I, the construction of a heavy rail line to capitol city of Baghdad and modernization of its harbor restored the city's importance. The port was consistently bombed by western coalition forces during the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
Over the past few days, the media...
He is more interested in "things," than what those things will bring. "Nick went over to the pack and found, with his fingers, a long nail in a paper sack of nails, in the bottom of the pack. He drove it into the pine tree, holding it close and hitting it gently with the flat of the axe. He hung the pack up on the nail. All his supplies
.." For example, during the Vietnam War the United States "sprayed 3640 km2 of South Vietnam's cropland with herbicides, using a total estimated amount of 55 million kg. The stated rationale was to deny the enemy sources of food and means of cover. This widespread use of chemicals to destroy farmland, forest and water sources is unprecedented, and the environmental consequences are still relatively unexplored. International teams have been granted
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