The Middle East country I visited for 7 days was Iraq. Although research and articles did not suggest that Americans go there, I took a plane that landed in Baghdad, which is the capital of Iraq. Once I arrived I took a taxi to a home in the city. I stayed with a family. This was arranged through an international foreign exchange organization. Right away I noticed some major differences in their clothing, culture, climate, geography, and activities.
The weather or climate in Iraq was much different than the weather in the United States. For example, on the plane there was a slight delay because of a strong sandstorm. Because the highest average precipitation is only .3-. 7in. It is very dry in Iraq. I wanted to travel in weather that is warm but not too warm. So I decided to go in early May during this time the average temperature is between 68-96 deg. Later in the summer the temperature is as high as 110 deg. During the winter, in the regions toward the north there is some occasional snow. Temperature can drop as low as 25 deg. in Iraq.
I also noticed that the geography varies. There mainly consists of broad plains and was sandy in some areas. There are marsh and huge flood areas near the borders of Turkey and Iran. There are also mountains along these borders.
There are three words that describe the culture of Iraq the best. They are interesting, degrading, and different when compared to the United States. The main language in Iraq is Arabic. Other languages include Kurdish, Armenian, and Assyrian. The religion in Iraq that is practiced the most is Muslim. Muslim woman are treated as 2nd class citizens. I observed some of the Muslim women walking behind their husbands and clothed from head to toe, which would have to be very uncomfortable with the hot climate. This was hard for me to accept since women generally have equal rights in the United States. Also you need to remember who Iraq's dictator is, Saddam Hussein.
What Will Come About In Post-War Iraq? ... They asked us why the United States was taking over Iraq, and whether the Americans would stay in Iraq forever. ... Resentment and suspicion, not gratitude and embrace were what Iraqis felt when American troops invaded Iraq. ... How does Bush plan to seed Iraq with democracy? ... Iraqis will be happy Saddam Hussein is gone. ...
Iraq is a land of diverse people, both in terms of ethnic origins and in religious beliefs. ... To keep Iraq out of Axis powers influence, Great Britain used provisions of the Angelo-Iraqi Treaty of 1930 to land troops and reoccupy Iraq in 1941 (Metz 45-46). Political turmoil, focusing on British influence, dominated Iraq following World War II. ... Most Iraqis lived in object poverty (Farouk-Slugett 32-33). ... Some of these Iraqi were used in manufacturing where unskilled workers could be used. ...
On August 2, 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait. Iraq then annexed Kuwait, which it had long claimed. ... The UN Security Council called for Iraq to withdraw and subsequently embargoed most trade with Iraq. ... The main coalition forces invaded Kuwait and Iraq on February 24 and, over the next four days, encircled and defeated the Iraqis and liberated Kuwait. ... s invasion of Iraq was Iraq's failure to comply with every U.S. demand. ...
Americans believe in having freedom, but yet, most do not want our military to go to Iraq and fight for the Iraq people, so they have freedom as well. ... Many Americans believe we should pull our troops out of Iraq, because we are not accomplishing what we want, Iraqi freedom bye the military troops being in Iraq. Some also believe that our military troops are being put in danger while in Iraq. ... Our government decided that if we could get Iraqi leader Jadam Hussein, then the Iraq people could become free; like the United States. This is why we are calling this war "Iraqi Freedom." ...
"Victory" in Iraq! ... The people of Iraq were thrilled to see the American troops coming to save them. ... The fall of Iraq is the biggest victory in the war against terror so far. The war in Iraq is over but the war on terror is far from over. ... This victory is a victory for both the Iraqi and American people, our leaders should be brave enough to help people in need anywhere throughout the world. ...
"President Bush warned he had "zero tolerance for any Iraqi attempts to hide weapons of mass destruction," according to the Associated Press's article "Iraqi agrees to U.N. ... The article speaks poorly of Iraq and Hussein's administration, strongly implying that Iraq is not to be trusted and is lying to the U.N. about possessing weapons of mass destruction. Iraq's U.N. ... Both of these articles clearly show the bias of the U.N. against Iraq and it's administration. ... Not believing that Iraq will fight fair and let their weapons capabilities know. ...
A United States invasion of Iraq would involve killing a large amount of Iraqi civilians. ... A United States invasion of Iraq would be a clear violation of international and US law. ... The US said that Iraq has or will develop "weapons of mass destruction," threatening the US and Iraq's neighbors. ... There is no clear-cut proof that Iraq has chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons, and Iraq has never claimed it was targeting the US. ... Almost the entire world community is opposed to a US invasion of Iraq. ...
