Linguist, lexicographer, radio host, public speaker

“Destination Baghdad,” by Geoffrey York from Canada’s

;There is a fascinating clash between the isolationist American culture and the rich Arab culture with its ancient history. For many of the young U.S. soldiers, this is their first time in the Middle East—or anywhere outside North America. At one checkpoint, I watched a Kuwaiti slow down his car to shout his thanks to the American troops. “God bless you!” he yelled to a soldier from Florida. The soldier pondered this for a moment—then confessed he found it very strange because he thought the Arabs didn’t believe in God.

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Grant Barrett