Sunday, May 28, 2006

Al Hillah, Capital of Babil Province

Flying out of Baghdad, headed south... ...mostly agricultural land down here. We're flying over date palm farms. Dates are Iraq's second largest export, after oil. A large water treatment plant. We're building them all over the country. Safe drinking water is a serious need over here. At the Babil Police Academy (which we built). I'm standing next to Brigadier General of Police Qais, the Babil Province Chief of Police. He was an Iraqi Air Force fighter pilot under Saddam, but he wasn't a Saddamist. He has a nationwide reputation as tough, impartial and incorruptable. Over here, that makes him revered in some circles and hated in others!

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