selected feature news
"American Forces Assist Iraqi Businesswomen"
Posted November 25, 2009 by Marah Bukai
By: Lt. j.g. Christopher Deluzio, Support Our Troops
U.S. Soldiers with Task Force Pathfinder, a team of soldiers supporting civil capacity building efforts in Iraq’s southern provinces, made a trip to a rug factory managed, organized and staffed by women in Gharraf, Iraq, a town north of Nasiriah in Dhi Qar province. The factory opened in 1994, but disrupted by war, only recently resumed business. The 100 women who work in the factory specialize in weaving fine, handmade rugs which they sell at local markets and to Coalition forces at Contingency Operating Base Adder. The experience was an eye-opening one for the soldiers, moved by the great pride Iraqi women take in their work and the commitment they have to leading self-sufficient lives in the face of extreme hardship and war.
