Things you don't know about Iraq

Before you go and build a summer home on the sandy outskirts of Kirkuk, there are a couple of things you might want to know. Iraq, just like everywhere else, is all about location, location, location. Different parts of the country present different challenges and benefits to the people who live there - and since the news is more focused on terrorists and day-to-day military operations, a lot of the little things that define it as a country get left out.

I've spent many moons in Iraq's arid deserts; I've mixed and mingled with Iraqi Soldiers and every-day civilians. I learned a lot about the country in my time there (and I'm about to learn a lot more in a few months), and I also learned that most people have the wrong image of the place.

THE LIVING
Iraq has highways, cities, villages, shopping plazas, and taxicabs. Many people erroneously believe that it's a flat, barren land devoid of modern amenities - but they're wrong. The Iraqis do...
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