A boom in Iraq's holy city of Najaf

Baltimore Sun ^ | August 31, 2008

[George - the Other]

NAJAF, Iraq - The city's first airport is weeks away from opening, but already a bigger one is talked about. Land prices are soaring. Merchants say they don't remember business ever being so good.

Four years ago, Najaf was an urban battlefield, with American troops fighting Shiite militiamen loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Today, the Shiite holy city is a hot spot of a different kind, thanks to improved security, a free-for-all market economy - and a direct pipeline to the Shiite-led government.

[George - the Other]

Hard to believe this was actually in the overtly liberal Baltimore Sun. They've also recently hired a conservative columnist. What is the world coming to? :)

[magellan]

Bush’s fault.

[ryan71]

Iraq? Oh yeah, that war we lost.

[purpleraine]

Time for a Nobel Peace Prize for our side.

[Larry381]

The war in Iraq "is lost" and a US troop surge is failing to bring peace to the country, the leader of the Democratic majority in the US Congress, Harry Reid, said Thursday.

"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week," Reid told journalists.

Just in case anyone forgot what this sh*tbird said