Barbara Walters filed a report on gender roles in Kuwait a few years prior to the Gulf War, and noted then that, in traditional Islamic fashion, women customarily walked about 10 feet behind their husbands.

Recently, Barbara returned to Kuwait and observed that the MEN now walked several yards behind their wives. She approached one of the Kuwaiti women for an explanation.

This is marvelous, Barbara said. What enabled women here to achieve this reversal of roles?

The Kuwaiti woman replied, Land mines.