What is...

America's biggest cash crop?

"larger than cotton in Alabama, larger than grapes, vegetables and hay in California, larger than peanuts in Georgia, and larger than tobacco in South and North Carolina"

Former U.S. Detainee in Iraq Recalls Torment - (New York Times)

Detainee 200343 was among thousands of people who have been held and released by the American military in Iraq, and his account of his ordeal has provided one of the few detailed views of the Pentagon’s detention operations since the abuse scandals at Abu Ghraib. Yet in many respects his case is unusual.



The detainee was Donald Vance, a 29-year-old Navy veteran from Chicago who went to Iraq as a security contractor. He wound up as a whistle-blower, passing information to the F.B.I. about suspicious activities at the Iraqi security firm where he worked, including what he said was possible illegal weapons trading.



But when American soldiers raided the company at his urging, Mr. Vance and another American who worked there were detained as suspects by the military, which was unaware that Mr. Vance was an informer, according to officials and military documents.

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Migrants Too Often Overlooked During Crises

Geneva - Despite their critical contribution to the development of the global economy, migrants are often thought of last during times of conflict, says IOM as it marks International Migrants Day.



While the evacuation of Westerners from Lebanon through July and August captured the world's attention, there was little international concern over the tens of thousands of trapped migrant workers from countries unable to help their nationals and because they didn't have the means to flee by themselves.



IOM's humanitarian evacuation of more than 11,000 migrants from Lebanon – mainly women from Asia and Africa working as domestic servants – was the latest operation in the Organization's history helping stranded migrants escape from conflict situations.



Other recent examples include evacuating migrants who'd fled to Jordan from Iraq during the Second Gulf War and migrants fleeing the violence in Liberia and C�te D'Ivoire, also in 2003. Each time migrants are caught up in a conflict, IOM's ability to help is dependent on raising funds which takes time and which inflicts additional pain and anxiety on those requiring assistance.

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