USNews.com: Inside Washington: Paul Bedard: : Globe-trotting the Middle East

November 17, 2006

Globe-trotting the Middle East

It probably doesn't feel much like basketball season to the troops in Iraq and other hot Middle Eastern cities, but that should change right after Thanksgiving. Because that's when the fabled Harlem Globetrotters hit the area in a 21-day, 12-city tour with stops in Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Djibouti. Owner and former college ball star Mannie Jackson plans to lead 10 members of his team into the area, where they'll play some games, shoot hoops, and conduct "meet and greets" with the troops. The Globetrotters even plan to perform on an aircraft carrier. The team has a long history of entertaining the troops; this will be the third straight year the team has visited troops right before Christmas.

While it's a long trip, we're assured that the team will return home for the regular U.S.-Canada tour kicking off on December 26. It's called the "2007 North American Harlem Globetrotter Nothing Like It Tour" and hits 193 cities.

Below are exclusive photos from their 2005 military tour:

Posted at 03:25 PM by PaulBedard

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WHAT IS THIS?

Have you ever wondered what reporters do with all the stuff they collect but never write about? Well wonder no more. The bosses here pay me a good chunk of change and haven't ever choked on my Amex bill so it seems only proper to dump out my notebook every week. It won't be just news we didn't use. The blog will sometimes write about the process of getting stories-like why we choose Charlie Palmer's (quiet, spacious) for source lunches on Capitol Hill over Bistro Bis (crowded and noisy). Or why it's hard to get reporters at U.S. News to answer their phones on Fridays (it's our deadline, silly.) We'll even include pictures of our travels. Don't hesitate to applaud or criticize. We might just run your comments. Go ahead and email me at pbedard@usnews.com.

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