Rains of Freedom BASRA -- It rains in the desert in January and it gets cold. Flooding is common in a country usually parched under a cloudless sky. The streets of Kuwait become slightly soiled when the water recedes. Basra, in southern Iraq, turns in to a mud-filled slop, comparable to something out of the wild west. Despite the mud, the souk (Arab market) is flooded with goods from the Far East and Kuwait. In July, where used rebar was one of the only things on offer, there is now an abundance of cheap goods. Furniture of dubious quality and a styling that appeals to few outside Iraq crowds the streets. Food, fresh vegetables and bananas burst from hundreds of tiny spaces. The market has grown with the rains of freedom -- a freedom that brings with it the uncertainty of a future being determined by daily events. Security has deteriorated. Things are less safe than in the summer, but commerce flourishes. Power is erratic, but generators abound. DB and his family live with the Millennium team in the midst of this frontier chaos. His six-year- old daughter prays at night for regular electricity ... because she is afraid of the dark. Basra is an Iraq frontier existing between a cruel history and an uncertain future, experiencing the present like a child ... praying against the darkness. James Clark ============================================================== (c) 2004 Millennium Relief & Development Services, vol. 4 no. 1 'Insight' is a publication of MRDS to interpret current events in light of the experience of members of our international network. 'Insight' archives and other information can be found on our website. 'Insight' may be freely copied with this citation. If you wish to be removed from this mailing list, simply reply and request to be removed. Millennium RDS, 5116 Bissonnet #358, Bellaire, TX 77401-4007 Tel: (713)961-5645 Fax: (713)961-5735 www.mrds.org insight@mrds.org.