No Child Left Behind

Even in Iraq, where the kids -- despite the poverty -- welcome our troops (many photos). The 42nd Infantry Division says kids are the key to peace:

After 1½ months of their 12-month tour, some troops have concluded that the young people of Iraq hold the key to their country’s prospect for peace.

“I think teenagers are the ones we should be trying to influence the most,” said Sgt. Stephen Borosh of Elkhart, Ind. “The kids are the future, but the [teens] are the ones a little bit closer to where we want to go.”

Like anywhere else, teenagers in Iraq are old enough to make their own bad decisions. Some have trouble looking U.S. soldiers in the eye, Borosh said. Some can be easily bought, and do bad things for money such as planting bombs.

Also, like anywhere else in this region, which is manned by the 42nd Infantry Division’s Task Force Liberty, city kids can be different from country kids.

“If you go out to the outlying farm areas, you can see it in their eyes — they really like having you around,” Borosh said. “In the city, they’re more affected by the insurgency and what’s been going on here.”

When a patrol of U.S. military Humvees comes rolling down a road, children often run from their homes to the side of the road and wave. If soldiers get out of their vehicles, they’re often swarmed like rock stars.

(via Instapundit)