Comments about ‘Iraq: Suicide bomber kills 12 south of Baghdad’

We all are getting sick of the same ole doom & gloom liberal news about another female suicide bomber kills 12 south of Baghdad, when more is going on in Iraq than is being reported. Such as, a bare foot, visible only to the ankle, ascends into a black abyss as a bright yellow comet passes overhead. The darkness in the painting represents the life that Saddam Hussein stole from Iraq and the comet the hope of peace that U.S. forces brought, says artist Farouk F. Rafeik. Rafeiks work is part of something unthinkable one year ago: an art show in Baghdad's Dora neighborhood, once one of the most violent enclaves in Iraq. In 2006 and 2007, the area was the scene of intense fighting, and many Iraqis were chased from their homes based on their religion. The show opened Wednesday after months of planning by Rafeik and soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, who also provided money for the event. Dozens of people streamed through the packed room during the first hours of the exhibit, and many more spilled into the hall outside. It means goodbye to violence, goodbye to weapons, goodbye to killing.

The Harlem Globetrotters will visit Pacific military bases throughout December.

The famed basketball team has brought its exhibition of trick shots, dunks and comedy to fans in 118 countries on six continents for more than 80 years. Admission is free.

Below is a schedule of South Korea appearances:

Monday: Yongsan Garrison, Collier Field House, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Camp Walker, Kelly Fitness Center, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Osan Air Base, Fitness Center, 6 p.m.
(Area 1 officials will provide limited, free transportation to and from Mondays Yongsan Garrison show. A bus will leave the Camp Hovey Gym at 3:15 p.m. and Camp Caseys Carey Gym at 3:30 p.m.

Another bus will leave from the Camp Red Cloud Gym at 4 p.m., then depart the Camp Stanley Gym at 4:30 p.m. Seats are first-come, first-served.)

Other Far East appearances:

Dec. 5: Yokota Air Base, 7 p.m.
Dec. 6: Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Ranger Gym, 6 p.m.
Dec. 7: Yokosuka Naval Base, Purdy Fitness Center, 4 p.m.
Dec. 8: Camp Zama, Yano Fitness Center, 6:00 p.m.
Dec. 10: Sasebo Naval Base, Fleet Fitness Complex, 6:30 p.m.

In a country that often feels like the Wild West, security forces are turning to a tactic straight out of the American West to isolate and arrest suspected insurgents: the wanted poster. The posters are hung throughout Baghdad in bustling markets, at checkpoints, even on semi trucks. They include photos of the suspects, along with descriptions of their crimes and, maybe most importantly, offer a cash reward. The newest low-tech approach reminiscent of the deck of cards with pictures of key figures in the Saddam Hussein regime that the U.S. military produced at the beginning of the Iraq war is paying dividends. Tipsters looking for reward money have turned in a few suspected insurgents but, more than that, having their picture plastered across town has driven many of the wanted underground. Because they became famous, everybody knows them and they can't work inside the city, that has seen a steep drop in violence in recent months.