The Halgurd-Sakran National Park: Iraq’s other war

A team of local environmentalists are fighting a gunless war in Iraq to build the country’s first international standard national park, Peter Schwartzstein writes for National Geographic. After decades of widespread environmental destruction, the young team is hoping to turn the Halgurd-Sakran National Park into a wildlife sanctuary and a symbol of a peaceful future in a war-torn country. “A lot of blood has been spilled for these mountains, so treat them well,” read a roadside anti-litter campaign. Besides massive minefields, militant groups, and illicit hunters, the team is up against challenges including convincing skeptical locals that the dream project is not “just a cunningly disguised land grab.”