IRAQ: KFC in Baghdad?

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Chickens have not fared well in Iraq’s war, and neither has the country’s once-thriving poultry industry. Chicken coops and pens were occupied by insurgents who used them as hideouts and as convenient spots to stash weapons and explosives, according to the U.S. military.

Farmers who defied insurgents’ orders to shut down their businesses found that the equipment needed to sustain poultry farms was looted. Chicken processing plants fell into disrepair as their generators, water pumps and other equipment was destroyed in the war, stolen, or just left unused for years.

Now, U.S. forces are taking advantage of the lull in violence in some parts of the country to try to restore the chicken industry, according to a recent statement from the military. One area where the plan is underway is south of Baghdad, which U.S. Army Capt. Michael Lenart says used to be the country’s largest chicken-producing region.

So far, 10,000 chicks have have been purchased, using U.S. funds, to restart chicken factories in Adwaniyah. Ghassan Mohammed Ali is hoping to revive his once-thriving chicken processing plant in Arab Jabour, which could mean jobs for 95 people. An additional 5,000 chicks are due to be delivered to Adwaniyah in the coming weeks.

This should be welcome news to Baghdad residents, the main purchasers of chickens, which roast on rotisserie sticks and are devoured on kebabs across the capital. The thousands of chicks destined for poultry farms may not be so happy.

— Tina Susman in Baghdad