Are you bound for the Middle East? If you are with the United States military or have been hired as a civilian contractor to serve in the Middle East, you will want to know what to expect.
I have just finished my fifth year of work in the Middle East, four years in Iraq and one in Afghanistan with time in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait so I can tell you what it is like. However, with the war going on, it is a constantly changing landscape.
It is a desert, yet for a few months each year, you think you are experiencing Noah's flood. It is hot with temperatures exceeding 130 degrees and yet some nights a winter coat is required.
It is filled with many peace-loving people and yet there are so many hateful insurgents who want to kill all Americans--The same Americans who have purchased the Iraqi people's freedom with their very lives.
Right now, because of the insurgency, there seems to be so much instability, not only in this war-torn country, but in the entire region. Most of the insurgency comes from outside Saddam's country, but Pakistan and Iran have many fighters moving into Iraq.
Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have a lot to do with the turmoil going on. The United States troop surge really worked well, but now those troops are beginning to leave. What happened on 9/11 is something we never want to happen again.
But the troops are not coming home. They are being diverted to Afghanistan instead due to the rising tide of the Taliban there. It seems we are on a seesaw.
The American people and the new post-Saddam government are calling for a specific withdrawal date. Will there ever be peace? Will the people ever be free if we pull out too soon?
And what about the United States? Should we be sacrificing our troops, our civilian contractors, and all of their families by being overseas in the Middle East? If we are not there, would there be an attack on American soil?
This site seeks to provide information about all aspects of Iraq and some of Afghanistan. There is employment and geographic information as well as many articles talking about West Asia. And when and where possible, we have included pictures of the Middle East. I have some photos that I cannot post. It would be considered a violation of security policies.
Live Weather Anywhere
This page will give you live weather anywhere to include the Middle East.
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Search This Site
This page contains a search engine to search this site.
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Contact Me
Please feel free to contact me at any time with your comments and experiences in Iraq. With your permission, we may post them to the website.
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My Family Sites
This page is about my family sites or sites maintained by my family.
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New Information
New Information gives a description of all the new pages and information on this site.
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Job Opportunities In Iraq And Afghanistan
If you are interested in good job opportunities in Iraq and/or in Afghanistan, I have composed a useful list of companies for you.
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DoD Jobs
This page is about DoD Jobs for civilians.
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Job Listings For Iraq
When searching for job listings for Iraq, Military Hire.com has a good website. I have gotten leads off of it for both of my jobs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Kuwait Jobs
This page is a daily update for Kuwait jobs with Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Northrop Grumman Jobs
This page is about Northrop Grumman Jobs.
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Police Jobs In Iraq
If you are looking for police jobs in Iraq, then you have a good chance of finding employment. Security jobs are numerous due to volatile conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Security Jobs Iraq
Security jobs Iraq are plentiful. The United States military and civilian personnel need security protection.
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Paramedic Jobs in Iraq
This page is about paramedic jobs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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AAFES In Iraq
AAFES in Iraq aka Army Air Force Exchange Service can be found on almost all of our military bases in Iraq.
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Flight To Kabul
My second flight to Kabul was delayed.....After flying over 200,000 miles without any problems,back and forth to places in the Middle East, I finally got a delay. This led to my nonstop flight to Du
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Afghanistan Time Zone
This page is about the Afghanistan Time Zone.
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Afghanistan Major Cities
This page is about Afghanistan Major Cities and other comments by the Author.
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Afghanistan Flight To Kabul
So you are taking your first Afghanistan flight. Flying in and out of Kabul Airport is fairly routine. Here are a few tips that might help with your entry and departure at Kabul.
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Large Map of Afghanistan
This page is about Large Map of Afghanistan and other maps and information of the country.
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Location Afghanistan
I am now in my new home away from home. Location Afghanistan. I have spent the last few days inprocessing.
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Photos From Afghanistan
This page is full of photos from Afghanistan to show you how clean and beautiful it is.
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Russian in Afghanistan
This page is about Russian in Afghanistan and other information.
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Taliban In Afghanistan
On September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked on home soil. The Taliban in Afghanistan, namely Osama bin Laden, was responsible.
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Air Iraq
This page is about Air Iraq which is the new air line for Iraq. They will have direct flights from Iraq to Washington.
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Al Asad Airbase
I have been at Al Asad Airbase since October of 2005. I was called over by my company to build a hardward store.
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Al-Qaeda or Al-Qaida
Osama bin Laden started Al-Qaeda also spelled al-Qaida. In 1996, he moved from Sudan to Afghanistan and forged an alliance with the Taliban.
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Al-Sadr
This page is about Al-Sadr and his call for attacks on the United States because of Israel's attacks on Hamas.
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Ali Al Saleem Airbase
Going to Iraq from Ali Al Saleem Airbase in Kuwait takes time. Bring your patience and some good books to read.
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Why Is America In Iraq?
Why is America in Iraq? Well, if we do not win in Iraq, the insurgents will look upon it as a victory. With this victory they will bring religious slaughter to Iraq and only the strongest religious
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Arrival In Kuwait
Your arrival in Kuwait begins when you stop off the plane from the United States and/or Europe.
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Assyria
Assyria was a kingdom on the Tigris River. Its first capitol was Assur but later it was changed to Ninevah.
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Babylon
Ancient Babylon is modern day Al Hillah, Iraq. Its ruins are about 80 kilometers south of Baghdad.
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Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport is now both a military and a civilian airport. It has a military terminal and a civilian terminal.
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Adventure In Balad Iraq
Our adventure in Balad Iraq started when we had taken a trip up to Camp Danger in Tikrit. On the way home to Baqubah, our adventure began.....
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Baqubah Iraq
One of the major hot zones in Ithis country is Baqubah Iraq. I spent 18 months there at Camp Warhorse and we took a ton of incoming.
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Basra Iraq Controlled By Iraqi Forces
Today, September 3, 2007, is a big day in Basra Iraq! The last of the British troops providing security there pulled out.
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Benazir Bhutto Assassinated At Age 54
As she waved to the masses from her vehicle's sunroof, Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan, was assassinated. She was shot in the neck on Thursday, December 27, 2007. The vehicle was
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Beheaded In Iraq
Iraq contractors were told they were going to be beheaded in Iraq if they continued to work for us.
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Blackwater Xe
The security company in Iraq known as Blackwater has changed its name to Xe. Blackwater Xe has had a lot of bad publicity in the news over the past few years.
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Bored In Iraq
From time to time, the bombs stop dropping and we catch up on work and get bored in Iraq. While it is true that most of the time the military is busy fighting and patrolling and civilians are working
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President Bush Visits Iraq Again
President Bush visits Iraq again today, Labor Day, September 3, 2007.
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Camp Cobra
This page is about Camp Cobra, Iraq
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Camp Danger
I took a trip to Speicher and Camp Danger in Tikrit in December of 2005, just after Christmas. Our company got a convoy together to ride with the Army.
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Camp Falcon
This page information and pictures sent to us about Camp Falcon Iraq.
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Camp Falcon Explosion
This page is a seris of videos and pictures of a Camp Falcon Explosion.
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Camp Falcon Iraq
Camp Falcon Iraq is a base outside of Baghdad that used to be called Camp Ferrin-Huggins. In Arabic, this base is known as Camp Al-Saqr.
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Camp Liberty Iraq
Camp Victory North, also known as Camp Liberty Iraq or Camp al-Tahreer, is located northeast of Baghdad International Airport.
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Camp Liberty Shooting
This page is about the Camp Liberty Shooting that took place on May 11th, 2009. This shooting was soldier on soldier violence.
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Camp Taji Iraq
Camp Taji Iraq is located about 12 miles northwest of Baghdad. In addition to US troops being stationed at this camp, a portion of the Iraqi National Guard and the Iraqi Army are also there.
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Camp Taqaddum
Camp Taqaddum or TQ for short is located in Central Iraq, 74 kilometers west of Baghdad. It is on the outskirts of Ramadi. This means it is inside of the dangerous al Anbar Province.
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Camp Victory In Baghdad
In early 2005, I traveled from Baqubah to Camp Victory in Baghdad for a company meeting.
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Camp Victory Iraq
I just received orders this past weekend to head to Camp Victory Iraq instead of Fallujah or Baqubah. I visited Camp Victory for a short business trip a few years ago but did not get to see much.
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Camp Warhorse Baqubah
I would like to share the story of how I first got to Camp Warhorse Baqubah.
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Care Packages To Iraq
The best way to send care packages to Iraq is by US mail. Your package will be sent to Iraq by a military overseas address.
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Christmas Packages To Iraq
Christmas is upon us, especially for those wanting to send Christmas packages to Iraq for a loved one or for a soldier in general.
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Casualties In Iraq War
The American casualties in Iraq war show that currently 4047 (as of April 23, 2008) troops and civilians have been killed, and more are killed everyday.
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Causes Of War With Iraq
Causes of war with Iraq are controversial, not only in America, but around the world. President Bush calls it the war on terror and, indeed, it is a war on terror.
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Christmas In Iraq
Christmas in Iraq can be downright depressing. You are away from your loved ones, your home, all that is familiar.
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Civilian Jobs In Iraq
Civilian jobs in Iraq are plentiful and most pay very well, especially the jobs with American companies.
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Climate Iraq
Operation Climate Iraq began today. This operation seeks to keep contractors in Iraq aware of the heat and the need to drink plenty of water.
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Civilian Travel Iraq
Civilian travel Iraq and other parts of the Middle East is fairly simple but it takes time. Bring your patience with you, along with a few good books to read.
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Construction Jobs in Iraq
During one of my construction jobs in Iraq, there was a change of personnel and I found myself promoted to camp manager.
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Contract Work In Iraq
So you want to do some contract work in Iraq and make a good salary? Great. But there are some things you must know about working outside of the country first.
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Contractor Jobs In Iraq
For the past four years, I have had several contractor jobs in Iraq.
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Culture In Iraq
Culture in Iraq is openly expressed through music, sculpture, and, to a lesser degree, movies.
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The Culture Of Iraq
The culture of Iraq is diverse. About 75% of the Iraqi people are Arab.
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Currency Exchange Involving Iraqi Dinar
From the first day I landed in Iraq I heard people talk about currency exchange involving Iraqi dinar. They were buying up Iraqi dinar in some scheme of selling it back for many times what they paid
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Customs in Iraq
This page is about Customs in Iraq, both people and exporting/importing.
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Day War Started
The day war started can be traced back to August of 1990, when Saddam attacked Kuwait. Why did Saddam attack Kuwait?
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Desert Sandstorms In Iraq And Afghanistan
Desert sandstorms in the Middle East are common. They can come up suddenly, with little to no warning and catch many Americans by surprise! Yes, I have been surprised by Iraq sandstorms and by Afghani
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Dubai Airport
Some companies will fly you to Dubai Airport, instead of Kuwait before you enter Iraq.
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Eating In Iraq
The defac or dining facility is the main place for civilians and the military alike for eating in Iraq.
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Electricity In Iraq
I get a lot of e-mails about electricity in Iraq. When traveling outside the United States it is important to remember that electrical current is different.
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Employment In Iraq
During my employment in Iraq, I worked with some Filipinos. I had one who was a hard worker.
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Female Soldiers In Iraq
There are many female soldiers in Iraq. There are outstanding women in our brave US military, but this article is about Iraqi women.
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Fallujah Iraq
Fallujah Iraq is about forty miles to the west of Baghdad on the Euphrates River. It has become the most violent city in Iraq during the war and is home to the Sunni resistance group called Wahabi.
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Fast Food In Iraq
Surprisingly, fast food in Iraq is available on military bases. Civilians and military personnel can eat it now.
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Flight To Iraq
Once you are through with immigration processing, you will get ready for your flight to Iraq.
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Food In Iraq
Food in Iraq is provided by the United States military and other sources.
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Garden Of Eden In Iraq Is Possibly Located In Qurna
Qurna is believed by many to be the location of the Garden of Eden in Iraq.
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Halliburton Iraq
Halliburton Iraq, also known as KBR (Kellogg, Brown, and Root), is big business for the company once run by Vice President Dick Cheney.
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Holidays In Iraq
For civilians, the holidays in Iraq and in Afghanistan are pretty much the same as any workday. The various companies I have worked for did nothing very special.
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Hesco Barrier
This page is about the Hesco Barrier or Hesco for short used for defense in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Tigris River Honeymoon Island In Baghdad
Did you know that Iraq has a Tigris River Honeymoon Island In Baghdad? A news story on the internet this past week caught my attention. All we ever hear about is war and destruction
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Insects In Iraq
Insects in Iraq are abundant. Sand flies in Iraq are very small creatures that jump and transmit an irritating disease that can be deadly.
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Internet In Iraq
Keeping in touch with your loved ones during the war is easy with the internet in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Satellite Internet In Iraq
Guess what? Even though it is a desert in a war zone, there is satellite internet in Iraq!
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Iraqi Airlines
Iraqi Airlines is better known as Iraqi Airways. Iraqi Airways is the oldest airline in the Middle East beginning back in 1946. Iraqi Airways continued to operate with 17
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Iraq Bases Water
Don't drink Iraq bases water! Water supplies are low here, much of it polluted.
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Iraq Beer
The page is about American Military getting Iraq Beer for the Suprer Bowl.
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Iraq Beheading
An Iraq beheading is always an unnecessary tragedy performed by insurgents. One of the saddest days for us while I was at Camp Warhorse in Baqubah, was to find out that three of our workers were
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Iraq Christmas
Some more Iraq Christmas stories are listed on this page, along with some spent at home. Looks like I will be spending this Christmas (2008) away from my family again, this time in Afghanistan...
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Iraq Construction Jobs
My travels because of my Iraq construction jobs have taken me to a lot of different countries.
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Iraqi Dinar Forums
iThere are many Iraqi dinar forums hosted by people offering various opinions on what should be done and what should not be done regarding this topic. There are many sites about investing/buying Iraqi
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Iraq Food
Do you ever wonder what authentic Iraq food is like? What do the people of Iraq eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
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Iraq Geography
Iraq geography is a contrast, from snowy mountain peaks to sea level at the Gulf, from desert sands to the Garden of Eden.
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Iraq History
A brief Iraq history is as follows: It gained its independence from British rule in 1932.
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Iraqi Holidays
Iraqi holidays are generally determined by the position of the moon. There is a general idea when a holiday will be but the exact date of a particular holiday is determined by the lunar cycle of the
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Iraq Jobs
This page is about Iraq jobs. These are jobs in Iraq with an Iraqi company.
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Iraqi Location
Everyone wants to know what his/her Iraqi location will be as soon as a civilian or one of our military troops says he/she is being deployed. There are so many bases in Iraq to choose from.
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Iraq People
The Sunni Iraq people supported Saddam Hussein.
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Iraq Security Jobs
Iraq security jobs are abundant now, both on and off of military bases here. Many of these security companies are American, but some are not.
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Iraq Religion
The official Iraq religion is Islam. Muslims (those who practice Islam) account for a whopping 97% of the Iraqi population.
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Iraq Snipers
Camp Warhorse at Baqubah was subject to Iraq Snipers.
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Iraq Silly String
A big shipment is on its way to the war. What is it? Iraq Silly String . But why? First if you do not have kids, you may not know what this toy is.
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Iraq Spiders
I have been receiving a lot of e-mails about Iraq spiders, namely camel spiders. Are they for real? Do they really exist? Yes!
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Iraq Soldiers
Iraq soldiers are being trained by American soldiers to take their place.
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Iraq Updates
Iraq updates of the latest news is being put on my site for your convenience. It helps us to stay updated with what is going on all over the country. When you are in the middle of a warzone,
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Iraq War Beheadings
In 2004 and 2005, Iraq War beheadings were the insurgents choice weapon of terror. However, there was a large out cry about the Iraq war beheadings by the Iraqis and even Al Queda started to speak
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Iraq War Bombing
Iraq war bombing is now a way of life. I have experienced a lot of them and so have many of my buddies.
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Iraqi War Footage
When searching for Iraqi War footage, I can say a few things but mostly I will give you web sites to go to. There is a lot of footage out there. You just have to know where to look.
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Iraq War Helicopter
In the Iraq war helicopter travel is one of the most-used modes of transportation for both military personnel and civilians.
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Iraq Weather
Iraq weather can be as messy as a Michigan snowstorm in the upper peninsula.
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Islam
This page is about Islam growth.
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KIA Iraq
KIA Iraq is a hard subject to talk about. Already thousands of American lives have been taken in their prime. Many thousands more bear the scars of service, both physical and mental.
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John McCain AKA John Mcain
Our choices for the presidency this year (2008) are John McCain aka John Mcain as some are spelling it or Barack Obama. Are they the best people for the job? I do not think so. I have tried to remai
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List Of Cities In Iraq
fAre you looking for a list of cities in Iraq? Looking for a list of hotels in Iraq and vacation spots? Well there are not any at this point. The only people camping, touring and visiting Iraq are
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Map Of Baghdad Iraq
A map of Baghdad Iraq can be purchased from National Geographic.com.
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Map Of Balad Iraq
When looking for a map of Balad Iraq, it is important to remember that maps of some locations are hard to come by. The reason for this is the military does not want insurgents to get any information
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Married Troops In Iraq
Guess what? American married troops in Iraq are now getting to live together as husband and wife while serving their country!
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Mesopotamia
Iraq is the home of ancient Mesopotamia, otherwise known as the cradle of civilization.
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Meals In Iraq Or MRE's
Military meals in Iraq, whether in battle or the field, are popularly known as MRE's or meals ready to eat.
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Military Bases In Iraq
Depending on where you are living, life on military bases in Iraq is not that bad. It all depends on your housing.
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Money In Iraq
Money in Iraq in the form of cash for the coalition and civilian contractors is not used very often.
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Dedication to Tommy Maness at Camp Warhorse
Tommy Maness was known as Generator One at Camp Warhorse, Baqubah. There was not a generator on base he could not fix when called upon to do so. He was very gifted with engines.
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Navy Seals In Iraq
Did you know that there are Navy Seals in Iraq? As I was scanning a list of those killed in Iraq, I was surprised to see that a lot of Navy people were killed in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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News Of War In Iraq
Getting news of war in Iraq is easy now compared to how it was back in 1990 during the first Gulf War.
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Nineveh
Remember the city of Nineveh mentioned in the Bible? In the biblical account of Jonah, God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach.
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Sending Package to Iraq
This page is about sending package to Iraq from another country than the United States.
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People In Iraq
The people in Iraq are divided into sects. The Taliban is a group of fundamentalist Sunni Muslims.
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Prayer for Soldiers
Prayer for soldiers and reading the Bible are what will sustain our troops and civilians in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Population Of Iraq
The Shiite people or Shi'a people are the majority of the population of Iraq.
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Reason For War With Iraq
Many Americans are searching for a reason for war with Iraq. Why are we in Iraq?
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Reasons To Stay In Iraq
America is searching desperately for reasons to stay in Iraq as the American death toll rises, as more Americans are permanently disabled, and as families fall apart due to the separation from their l
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Religion In Iraq
The main religion in Iraq is Islam. Islam was founded as a religion by Mohammed in the seventh century. It has 2 branches.
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Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein was captured by the United States military in December of 2002. He was in an underground bunker, alone.
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Shopping In Iraq
If military and civilian personnel want to go shopping in Iraq, the PX (base store) is the most popular place and usually the only place to go.
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Skype In Iraq
I discovered Skype in Iraq back in 2004. At that time I would sign on and talk from my computer to my wife at home in San Antonio through her computer.
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Snacks In Iraq
Military personnel and civilians alike love to eat snacks in Iraq and around the world.
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Toy Guns in Iraq
This site is about toy guns in Iraq.
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Truck Driving Iraq
There are many truck driving Iraq. You can get one starting around $70,000 a year if you complete the entire year on your contract.
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Vacation in Dubai
This page talks about taking a vacation in Dubai.
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Vacation in Kuwait
This page is about taking a vacation in Kuwait.
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War Of Iraq And America
The First Gulf War of Iraq and America happened because Saddam Hussein got greedy. He saw the tiny, yet very rich country of Kuwait and decided he could take possession of it.
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War of Iraq and USA
On March 20, 2003, the Second Gulf War of Iraq and USA began. United Nations sanctions from the First Gulf War were responsible for a lack of nutritious food and adequate medicine in Iraq.
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War Of Iraq
I can give you a ton of information on the war of Iraq. I have been there off and on for over three years now.
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Water Iraq
You may have read a recent article about the water Iraq has in early March of 2008. This particular article was about KBR.
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Weapons of Mass Destruction
This page is about Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.
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Why War With Iraq
This page is a fellow up for why war with Iraq.
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Wildlife In Iraq
I did not see a lot of wildlife in Iraq or Afghanistan. So I am not entirely sure what remains in the country. But I had a feeling that a lot of the wildlife no longer exists. I did not
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Women Soldiers Iraq
American women soldiers Iraq fight valiantly for the freedom of the Iraqi people just as our male soldiers do. Male and female soldiers are treated equally in the military and in Iraq.
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Privacy Policy
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