Rumor mill
The week's news at a glance.
Baghdad
The U.S. has a team of Americans and Iraqis combing the streets of Baghdad for gossip, The New York Times reported this week. The team produces The Baghdad Mosquito, an internal intelligence document that chronicles the conspiracy theories and rumors making the rounds among Iraqis. Years of totalitarian propaganda have taught Iraqis not to trust newspapers or government, so many people believe the whispers they hear in cafes. The Mosquito helps the military “to better understand what really are the concerns of the citizens on the streets of Baghdad,” said Brig. Gen. Mark Hertling. Some of the gossip even turns out to be true, like the rumor that Saddam Hussein was riding around town in taxis. When Saddam was captured, a taxi was parked near his spider hole.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Exploring Georgia's southern highlands
The Week Recommends Visit Javakheti, Georgia's 'lake district', and meet the last-remaining 'spirit wrestlers' in the region
-
Delivery drivers face continuing heat danger with Trump's OSHA pick
The Explainer David Keeling is the former head of UPS and also worked at Amazon
-
Is that the buzzing sound of climate change worsening sleep apnea?
Under the radar Catching diseases, not those ever-essential Zzs