When I walked around the old and new districts of Mosul, The war did not seem to tarnish the spirit of the people, or the old buildings, alleys, roads, Mosques and Churches. That was in May 2004, a very different picture now in 2007 where one would be very lucky indeed if he or she could venture out of their house safely. The war has taken a cruel turn in fuelling the flames of a threatening civil war that is shaking the very essence of this great and ancient country we still call our beloved Iraq.