Which books help me get into the psyche of war criminals, suicide bombers, etc? [more inside]
posted by hasna on Nov 3, 2009 - 21 answers

I'm heading to Iraq in several months and I'm looking for great sources of information on the country. This could include: - Political, cultural, etc blogs - Blogs from servicemen/civilians working in Iraq - News analysis - Iraqi blogs (they can be English or Arabic - I read both!) - Backgrounders or historical analysis Be creative! What do YOU read to find out about Iraq? I'd love to hear about it. Thanks for your input in advance!
posted by torietorie on Nov 3, 2009 - 7 answers

Where can I find detailed information on the internet about specific Iraqi tribes? [more inside]
posted by torietorie on Oct 1, 2009 - 2 answers

Please help me understand the role of oil in the motivations for the 2003 Iraq invasion. [more inside]
posted by atmosphere on Sep 15, 2009 - 12 answers

Hi! I will soon graduate from a top computer science program with a PhD. I am interested to work in Iraq and Afghanistan for a year or two. Clearly, I prefer to work in the "green zone", but am willing to work alongside troops in the combat zone. I am quite versatile and can do alot of stuff, e.g., teaching, designing software, engineering work, testing, maintaining complex systems, etc. Does anyone know how I can go about this? I tried looking at KBR's and FLOUR's job postings for contractors. But they primarily list jobs that are in food service, transportation, warehousing, etc. I like to get a job that is intellectually fulfilling. Oh. One more thing. I am a foreign national from a country that is friendly to the US and the NATO countries. Thanks! :)
posted by jchaw on Sep 4, 2009 - 8 answers

Most likely relocating to Iraqi Kurdistan. What do I need to know? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 4, 2009 - 4 answers

Should I take a job in Baghdad? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 8, 2009 - 26 answers

My girlfriend works for a non-profit that helps refugees adjust to living in the U.S. On Monday, she has to show an Iraqi mother and her son how to use D.C. public transportation. The problem: since arriving in the U.S., they have been extremely suspicious of everyone and everything. [more inside]
posted by aheckler on Aug 1, 2009 - 19 answers

Would it be seen as (and is it really) exceptionally tasteless to write a fictional novel about a soldiers' experiences in Iraq? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 6, 2009 - 16 answers

Are Iraqi wrist watches with Saddam Hussein's face on them valuable? [more inside]
posted by milagu on Mar 23, 2009 - 4 answers

What point-and-shoot type cameras would be good for a deployed Marine in Iraq? [more inside]
posted by toomuchpete on Feb 15, 2009 - 17 answers

How long did it take artists (especially musicians) to begin producing new protest or anti-war songs about the invasion of Iraq in 2003? [more inside]
posted by Hildago on Jan 6, 2009 - 28 answers

Do you know of a well-written book that covers the Iraq war? [more inside]
posted by eralclare on Nov 26, 2008 - 11 answers

This summer, I was vacationing in Mauritius when I got lost, near the town of Pamplemousses, North of the capital Port Louis. Trying to find my way among the sugar plantations I drove past an isolated house that was festooned with old-style Iraqi flags. The entrance was guarded by two guys in "Republican Guard"-style military fatigues, black berets and all. I prudently decided against stopping, never mind taking pictures, but the question has been bothering me ever since: WTF was that about?! A cult and/or weird political grouping? Or is maybe Saddam alive and well in a tropical paradise (one would think he'd be a bit more discreet about it)? Despite my Google-Fu, I haven't been able to find an answer, so I turn to you, dear MetaFilter friends: Does anybody know what that was about?
posted by Skeptic on Nov 9, 2008 - 15 answers

What are good (non-Alex Jonesy, please) documentaries, websites, and other resources that explore and explain al Qaeda, the Taliban, and all related matters? [more inside]
posted by Camofrog on Oct 6, 2008 - 20 answers

Need help with the end of Bill Moyers Journal program last night. [more inside]
posted by marsha56 on Sep 6, 2008 - 6 answers

What are some of the most compelling articles you've read about fighting in the Iraq War? [more inside]
posted by PostIronyIsNotaMyth on Jul 21, 2008 - 8 answers

Where can I find the recent government report that claims that Iraq has achieved 15 of 18 benchmarks set for its political development? [more inside]
posted by zainsubani on Jul 17, 2008 - 11 answers

Canada just received a huge shipment of uranium from Iraq, wtf? [more inside]
posted by Vindaloo on Jul 7, 2008 - 7 answers

I'm looking for an online video that I've seen within the last couple of years of a one man show by a British comedian that covered the reasons why America invaded Iraq and the history leading up to it. [more inside]
posted by rfbjames on May 7, 2008 - 4 answers

What lessons should the US have taken from history in planning the invasion of Iraq? [more inside]
posted by greytape on Apr 8, 2008 - 24 answers

A friend at the State Department is going out to Iraq. He's receiving a bunch of cultural and language training from the department, but I'd like to give him a book about the culture there from another view (not necessarily political - he'll get enough briefing on that). Any suggestions?
posted by ntk on Apr 4, 2008 - 5 answers

Did insurgents really fire Katyusha rockets into Baghdad's Green Zone? [more inside]
posted by kirkaracha on Mar 25, 2008 - 12 answers

My late father was a reporter who witnessed the testimony of Dr. David Kelly at the Hutton Inquiry. I'm trying to find a photo of Mr. Kelly's testimony that shows the audience in the background, to see if I can spot my father. [more inside]
posted by pcameron on Mar 12, 2008 - 5 answers

How would a typical Iraqi's activities on Friday differ from their activities on other days of the week? I understand that mosque attendance will be higher on Fridays, but would trips to markets, restaurants, or other places be more or less common on Friday? Are there major differences between Sunnis and Shiites in this regard? [more inside]
posted by thrako on Jan 31, 2008 - 7 answers

What are some objective criteria/metrics by which to measure progress towards success or failure in a war or other extended conflict? [more inside]
posted by EatenByAGrue on Jan 13, 2008 - 18 answers

A friend of mine's boyfriend left for Iraq a month ago, and there has been no contact since he arrived in Iraq. Is this normal? And is there any way to get any more information on him?
posted by wukkuan on Nov 27, 2007 - 10 answers

Best internet options in Iraq? [more inside]
posted by blueyellow on Oct 3, 2007 - 5 answers

I have a (self-described) Republican, Bush-loving friend whom I've known for about 13 years now, who's willingly signed up for the Marines and wants to be stationed in Iraq. He leaves for basic training next weekend. [more inside]
posted by revmitcz on Aug 1, 2007 - 45 answers

I'm looking for information about an IED attack in Iraq yesterday that injured a friend of a friend's brother. [more inside]
posted by Ian A.T. on Jul 19, 2007 - 14 answers

Someone I know is working in Iraq (Camp Anaconda, AKA Mortar City) installing satellite dishes, and I think he's being ripped off on his pay. How much should he be getting paid?
posted by Jairus on Jun 24, 2007 - 8 answers

DraftFilter: Help with debate over National Service/Draft and it's effects on society and unpopular wars [more inside]
posted by Kensational on Jun 12, 2007 - 20 answers

I woke up this Memorial Day sad, angry depressed over the unending loss of life in the Iraq war. What is an appropriate way for a non-believer in and non-supporter of the war to honor the dead (military, contractors, and Iraqi civilians)?
posted by Xurando on May 28, 2007 - 14 answers

For GIs & military folk: Are soldiers these days (post-Haditha) trained (not lectured -- trained) on how to respond to suicide bomb attacks w/out freaking out and slaughtering civilians? [more inside]
posted by It ain't over yet on May 3, 2007 - 11 answers

How many American soldiers who served in this Iraq war have died since leaving Iraq (German hospitals, American hospitals, at home etc.) ? [more inside]
posted by specialk420 on Apr 30, 2007 - 7 answers

How do I help an Iraqi dentist friend? [more inside]
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy on Mar 23, 2007 - 5 answers

Was there anyone who publicly predicted, before the start of the Iraq war, the absence of WMDs and/or the extended occupation we would face, and justified those predictions in thoughtful detail?
posted by shivohum on Mar 21, 2007 - 35 answers

What are good sources for seeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the eyes of the soldiers fighting? [more inside]
posted by CaptMcalister on Mar 16, 2007 - 8 answers

Does the Baghdad morgue publish its data? [more inside]
posted by thrako on Mar 15, 2007 - 1 answer

Where can I find good quality free video footage of the "war on terror" for use as b-roll in a documentary? [more inside]
posted by kookoobirdz on Mar 13, 2007 - 5 answers

How do lawyers work in newly formed (or reformed) countries with new political systems, like Eastern Europe after the USSR, or Iraq or Timor-Leste today? [more inside]
posted by StrikeTheViol on Mar 7, 2007 - 4 answers

Shaped Explosive Charges - and Iranian "involvement" how much do we actually know about shaped charges in Iraq? [more inside]
posted by stratastar on Feb 12, 2007 - 22 answers

Do shia look different than sunni? [more inside]
posted by petsounds on Feb 12, 2007 - 15 answers

[AppropriationsFilter] If the Democrats vote *against* funding the troop escalation, what recourse does the President have to follow through with his plan? [more inside]
posted by willie11 on Feb 7, 2007 - 4 answers

Anyone know any way to send cans of Silly String overseas? [more inside]
posted by Smedleyman on Feb 2, 2007 - 5 answers

Is there a well-formatted data file of weekly or daily Iraqi civilian casualties? [more inside]
posted by thrako on Jan 17, 2007 - 3 answers

Anyone have predictions (with citations) offered on how many troops would be necessary in Iraq? I've heard that generals said up to 300,000 in the run-up, but I can't seem to find sources for these. [more inside]
posted by klangklangston on Jan 16, 2007 - 15 answers

Is signing up for the military a legal "contract." [more inside]
posted by 9000.68 on Jan 13, 2007 - 21 answers

What is the best way to figure out death rates in major cities and in the armed forces? [more inside]
posted by jaybeans on Jan 11, 2007 - 7 answers

Is Saddam Hussein the wealthiest person ever to be executed? [more inside]
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Sockpuppetry on Dec 30, 2006 - 20 answers