Dreams of work in Iraq turn into nightmare

Large numbers of impoverished Chinese have been heading to war-torn Iraq where construction work is abundant. Two men made the journey recently, only to be kidnapped by militants and sent back to China where they are now faced with mounting debts

Sitting on a wooden bench in his spartan house in this tiny seaside village, Xue Yougui's boyish face lights up when he talks about his first trip on an aeroplane last April.

"It was my first time on the plane, it seemed like fun at the time," the 28-year-old says. "I had never seen a plane close-up so I was very excited."

Holding his 18-month-old son, despondency soon returns to Xue as his thoughts snap back to reality.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2005/03/21/2003247214

that these people have to leave their homes for work, that they are taken advantage of by everyone, that they think they can get work in Iraq when even the Iraqi's can't get work there, that "free trade" has proven to be so bad for all except the corporations.