At the suggestion of an Iraqi women’s group, the US Marine Corps recently bought 50 cows for 50 Iraqi widows in the farm belt around Fallujah, once the insurgent capital of war-torn Anbar Province.

The purchase is seen as a small step towards re-establishing Iraq’s once-thriving dairy industry, as well as a way to help women struggling to obtain a pension. Early signs are that the programme is working, with widows, many with no other income, now having a marketable item to sell, as well as milk for their children. Although Iraqis, particularly women, are often reluctant to participate in an American effort, the cows were immediately popular.