Here’s one of the latest reports from Paul McKellips, Global Outreach Officer, US Embassy Baghdad, The Green Room – Public Affairs GO Team. Like a lot of what Paul is finding out, there’s way more good going on in Iraq than our mainstream media would like you to think. I guess that re-building an agricultural industry isn’t juicy news but I think it is.

From 1991 until 2003, Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist Regime nearly destroyed the Mesopotamian Marshlands, one of the largest wetlands systems in the world. Massive drainage structures were used to divert water away from the 8,000 square miles of marshes. The 5,000-year old Marsh Arab society was exiled and nearly annihilated. Thousands and thousands of residents were brutally murdered. With help from USAID, the American military and coalition partners, the new Iraqi government has been working to restore the wetlands at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates in southern Iraq. Reflooding has now covered 25- to 30-percent of the original marshlands. Contractors for USAID have already released 2 million fingerlings back into the marshes.

Full Report (Word doc)

Listen to his report: