Red Bulls Build the Online Law of Mesopotamia

Our discussions of Iraq have tended to have focused on the news and the involvement of lawyers in matters of the justification of torture, so it’s nice to have a good news story, stemming from the Red Bulls, the 34th Infantry Division in the U.S. Army National Guard t, garrisoned at Rosemount, Minnesota. The Red Bulls are using web-based technologies to assemble online the law of Mesopotamia.

Not surprisingly, after years of Saddam’s Baathist rule, and three major wars, the judicial system in Iraq has suffered from a lack of resources. As the Red Bulls‘ blog puts it:

The Dhi Qar PRT’s Rule of Law Advisor, Luca Costa, works to develop the judicial system on a parallel track, creating partnerships with law students and professors at An Nasiriyah University’s Law School, bringing in Italian legal experts to conduct classes on important constitutional issues, while reinforcing open communication between the police that investigate crimes and the investigative judges that prosecute them.

Through constant interaction, Costa discovered the need for a consolidated, accessible location for legal information relevant to the needs of Dhi Qar.

Using Quick Response Funds – State Department grants used to address essential social needs – he created a website where pertinent legal information in Arabic is readily accessible.

“We aim to open the door and encourage them to discover the information out there,” said Costa.

We’ve seen Guides to Iraqi law before, as well as Hastings and Washburn, but the Red Bulls are really doing their work at the grass roots.