Blackberries Are Back in Baghdad

Another sign that normalcy is returning to Iraq: Cellular phone coverage is getting reliable. U.S. News's Alex Kingsbury reports back from Iraq that, with an increase in cellular towers and fewer older ones getting blown up, coverage has expanded.

"Last time I was in Baghdad's international zone in March, there was barely enough signal for cell calls longer than 5-10 minutes," he E-mails. "Now, full data and email coverage on the BlackBerry." Of course, that's not all good news for so-called Crackberry reporters over there. With uninterrupted coverage, Washington editors are now online 24/7, to the dismay of reporters on the ground, who once relished the trips as forced rehab for their Crackberry addictions.