My neighbor Chris is working for the Army Corps of Engineers on several construction projects in Iraq to help rebuild their infrastructure. While they’ve enjoyed some success, they also have their fair share of setbacks.

Infrastructure also provides the insurgents with an attractive target. Around Basra, they regularly blow the oil pipelines that run to the port of Umm Qasr. If you stand out at the army base for awhile in the evening, you can usually spot a billowing cloud of smoke in the distance marking the most recent hit.

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