This American Life-I'm From the Private Sector and I'm Here to Help

Excellent radio program about civilian contractors in Iraq. Mostly consists of contractors talking about their jobs and daily life. Very interesting window into the situation.

This American Life is a great program in general. If people like this show, let me know and I will dig up the link to Squirrel Cop, which is quite simply the funniest radio I have ever heard.


http://www.thisamericanlife.org/ra/266.ram

 

Another excellent show from This American Life-

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/ra/254.ram

A summary is below:

Teenage Embed, Part Two
12/12

Episode 254

In early 2003, we brought you a special show about a California teenager, Hyder Akbar, who travelled to Afghanistan, his family's homeland, for the first time. His father had moved back to work for Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Hyder brought along a tape recorder, and his audio diary, produced by Susan Burton, won the Silver Award for Best Documentary at the 2003 Third Coast
International Audio Festival. T

his summer, Hyder returned to Afghanistan, to the rural province of Kunar that his family's from and where his father is now governor. In this new audio diary, Hyder has amazing access to all sorts of things few reporters get to see: U.S. forces interrogating a suspected terrorist, soldiers trying to mediate between the new Afghan government and local people, and more. His recordings were produced for radio by Susan Burton, with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Part One. Hyder notices changes in Kabul in the year since he visited Afghanistan. Then he heads to Kunar, near the Pakistan border, one of the remote regions where Al Qaeda, the Taliban and local warlords are still fighting the new Afghan government and the U.S. military. Hyder visits a massacre site. He then finds himself pressed into service as a translator between American soldiers, local Afghans, and a former communist who's once again running things. (25 minutes)

Part Two. Hyder's story continues. Hyder and his convoy of American soldiers run into trouble on their way back home. Hyder is asked to mediate between U.S. interrogators and a suspected terrorist, with confusing results. Hyder travels to the home of his Uncle Rauf.

Song: U2, "In God's Country"