Pool Reopening Symbolizes Return to Normalcy

By Army Sgt. Zach Mott | Special to American Forces Press Service
BEIDA, Iraq, Aug. 27, 2008 - In what was once a recruiting hotbed for terrorist and illegal militia elements in northern Baghdad, community leaders gathered to celebrate the grand reopening of a pool complex that now serves as a spot of relief for residents.

The Asafah pool complex was in such a state of disrepair that residents had long stopped patronizing the pool and squatters had taken up residence there - some even raising sheep on the pool deck. The pool hall located inside the main building had become a makeshift recruiting center for extremists.

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