ABSTRACT
The Global War on Terror, in effect, masked the 'business' of war and occupation. War was essential to facilitate the continued production, circulation, and consumption of war-related materials. When considering the place of Occupied Iraq, therefore, it is necessary to reconsider the meaning of place within a context of warfare. In The Business of War, this chapter focuses specifically, though not exclusively, on the actions of both the United States and the Philippines. The US is the provider of warriors and the Philippines is the largest provider of contract workers. Indeed, many of the Filipino workers were subcontracted by American firms for the reconstruction of Iraq. The chapter also focuses on these two trends—the transnational movement of warriors and workers—and also subsequently considers the making of hostages within Occupied Iraq. Workers, warriors, and hostages are literally trapped within the conflicting and contested imaginations of what Iraq is to become.
