In Waging Peace, veteran war correspondent Rob Schultheis takes you into West Baghdad with Civil Affairs Team-A 13 as they face death threats, ambushes, and roadside bombs while struggling to revitalize a neighborhood scarred by battle and three decades of corruption and neglect under Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule. Along the way he brings to life the unforgettable men and women of CAT-A 13: a former Peace Corps volunteer whose taste for the exotic local cuisine leads to suprising alliances with the local shopkeepers; a southern California surfer girl turned language specialist who helps launch an Islamic women's center; and a crusty ex-Marine Corps sniper whose irascible exterior masks a devotion to the suffering children of Baghdad. And leading the team is ex-Green Beret Major Mark Clark, who is equally deft at outwitting insurgents and battling bureaucrats to help the local Iraqis rebuild their lives and ensure his soldiers make it home safely when the mission is complete.A rare portrait of what is really happening in Iraq, based on an unprecedented six months of intense reporting, Waging Peace finds the street-level reality of today's Baghdad that is too often hidden beneath the headlines and sound bites. Read Less