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A few weeks ago, Jack Hayya, an old Cosmopolitan fraternity brother, during the early 1950s, read by chance, in a business publication, the name of an American businessman, Alex Kachachi, who is an executive of an American Company, Advanced Technology System (ATS), working in Iraq since its liberation in the spring of 2003. His regional office is in Amman, Jordan. Jack contacted ATS asking if Alex knew of “Sabah Kachachi,” Cosmo brother at the University of Illinois. Alex received Jack's e-mail in Amman, while by chance, Sabah Kachachi, an Iraqi citizen from Baghdad, Iraq, was on a business trip to Amman. Alex and Sabah are cousins. That Kachachi is me, Sabah. What a pleasant surprise and coincidence for me to hear from Jack after all these years, bringing back memories of the good old days of Cosmo at the University of Illinois, more than 50 years ago. Greetings, affections, and latest news of each other were exchanged. Jack is a Professor Emeritus at Pennsylvania State University, and Sabah is a retired Ex-Deputy Minister of Industry, who is managing his own economic and industrial consulting practice (Sabesco). I am writing this note to my Cosmo brothers, past and present, from Baghdad, the center of hell on earth. Baghdad is the capital of ancient Mesopotamia, the homeland of the Babylonians and their Hammurabi, the father of law and order. Baghdad was also the glorious capital of the golden age of Haroon Al-Rashid and his beautiful harem. Baghdad at present is in shambles. Even though we were liberated from Saddam's tyranny in the spring of 2003 by our American, British, and other friends, we are still facing terrorism and hardships. We are thankful to our American friends for their assistance. However, it seems that they have burned the barn, but the rats are still running around. Tomorrow, the 30th of January 2005, we are having national elections. We hope that democracy, along with the help of our international friends, enables us to build our New Iraq, peaceful, stable, and prosperous. How ironic: What Iraq and many other countries of the world need today is the Cosmo spirit. People from different countries, with different backgrounds and cultures, are living together in fraternal comradeship. At least that is what I remember of the good old Cosmo. I hope it is better now after all these long years. Please convey my greetings and best wishes to all our Cosmo brothers. I wish all and every one of them, best of luck and good fortune. |