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From the "Quaqmire" GOOD NEWS FROM IRAQ: SO MANY FACTS - SO FEW NEWS REPORTS "Here in Baghdad
We are Facing a Serious Sustained Terrorist Offensive" Joe's unit is in Baghdad now and very, very busy. Joe says he's living on MREs and cold water, very little sleep and no time for showers. His last e-mail was short -- he didn't even have time to read his incoming e-mails before signing off to return to duty. It might be a while before he writes again. But before that, on June 23, Joe had time to write a long e-mail for this blog and convey much information about the foreign enemy fighters U.S. servicemen have encountered in Iraq, examples of the dedication of U.S. troops, and much more. I recommend his entire piece, which is posted unabridged: I know you are overwhelmed with news and analysis that tells you how bad things are here and how little we have accomplished. Please bear with me a little because I know the reality is far different. I believe you'll see this a bit more clearly from understanding what my fellow soldiers have done. A few months ago, I recounted to you our efforts and achievements over a full year of missions in Baghdad, as a soldier in the 16th Engineer Battalion. Now I want to focus on our military combat efforts against the uprisings and our continued missions to secure Baghdad against the terrorist assault under way. This has been our primary focus over the past few months since being extended. The 1st Armored Division, of which the 16th Engineers are a part, led the charge against Muqtada Al-Sadr's uprising. The 16th was in the front in all this in Karbala, Najaf, Kufa and Baghdad. And contrary to the negative news coverage, the reality is that we have won some major victories that are having dramatic impact region-wide. I don't think most Americans are aware of the seriousness of the threats we confronted and defeated. Sadr's Mahdi Army was backed by extensive foreign fighters and a huge amount support. Iran's formidable Al-Quds Army (named for the conquest of Jerusalem, Israel) directly assisted their attacks against us. They trained some 1,200 of Sadr's fighters at three camps they ran along the Iran-Iraq border at Qasr Shireen, 'Ilam, and Hamid. This was backed by what one Iranian defector to us has said was $70 million dollars a month given by Iranian agents to our enemies -- from which Sadr's forces were directly funded in just the past few months by up to $80 million more. The Iranian Embassy distributed some 400 satellite phones in Baghdad to Sadr's forces, while 2,700 apartments and rooms were rented in Karbala and Najaf as safe houses. Sadr's ability to influence the Iraqi people was further enhanced by 300 "reporters" and "technicians" working for his newspaper, radio and television networks -- persons who are actually members of the Al-Quds Army and Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards. We also faced Chechen snipers in Sadr's forces who were being paid anywhere from $500 to $10,000, depending on differing accounts, for each American soldier they hit. One sniper hit five soldiers in less then a minute-and-a-half, killing one with a shot in the neck. These mercenaries were sending this money back to Al-Qaeda-allied guerrillas in Chechnya to fight the Russians. We also have constantly faced Lebanese and Palestinian Hezbollah fighters from Lebanon mixed in the fighting. Their claim to fame for the killing of 241 U.S. Marines in Beirut in 1983 is something we have had to consider every day and on every mission. Najaf and Karbala are the two most important Shiite cities in the world. They are very densely packed and overcrowded tightly around the mosques that dominate the center of each. Baghdad's Sadr City has a population of over 2 million even more densely populated. Do you see what I'm getting at? The odds against us were extreme and it looked for a while like all of Iraq would collapse in an orgy of violence and chaos that threatened to erupt the entire region. The enemy tried constantly to force us into killing innocent civilians. This didn't work. The people of Najaf and Karbala were extremely friendly. Kids poured out at times to greet U.S. soldiers because it was the first time many of them saw us. They knew the Mahdi Army was an alien outside militia, backed by foreign fighters, seeking to hijack their holy sites and force a larger regional conflict upon the U.S. When our patrols would go into the cities to clear schools where the militia hid weapons, or to secure government buildings, the Iraqis were very helpful and welcoming, giving much information to us to find and destroy Sadr's forces. My battalion sent us in different directions to each of the combat zones. We had a myriad of different missions to perform every day and night, no matter how hot or stressful the conditions were. Constantly under the threat of enemy fire, your soldiers performed brilliantly and heroically. One group of my battalion was attacked 139 times by RPGs! Casualties did occur, and soldiers have died and been wounded severely, including some in my battalion. Nothing of these past few months has been casual or easy. And though being crushed by the extension in April when we all thought we were headed home, how did your soldiers carry on? Specialist Rodriguez is one example. He broke his leg some months ago. He was offered the chance to deploy out of Iraq. He chose to stay. When his unit was deployed to Karbala, he cut off his cast. A person told him today that "we aren't paid enough to do that." Immediately, he and the other soldiers responded that it isn't about the money; that we do this for much more important reasons. Others of us faced down car bombs on streets under sniper attack; some carried out sweeps and raids against enemy-held locations; some have been constantly building and reinforcing defenses and holding high-danger critical locations. There is too much to try to list it all. Everyone has been a part of the full scope of the challenge. In the first 14 days of this month there were 17 car bombs. Several hit locations at which we work. What can I say? The enemy is vicious and desperate. That is no excuse for anyone to retreat in defense of this mission. Bear in mind one of our past war leaders... "Enduring peace cannot be bought at the cost of other people's freedom," Franklin Roosevelt said. "We will not be intimidated by the threats of dictators (against) our aid to the democracies which dare to resist their aggression." You saw the most recent bombings that targeted Iraqis trying to join the new police and military services. There is no denying that it is the Iraqi people who are under attack by evil terrorism. Some people get confused when they hear that other Iraqis are participating in these attacks, as if that means all Iraqis are against us. But wasn't Timothy McVeigh an American, and in fact a combat engineer in the Army just like me? His terrorist attack in Oklahoma City never meant that Americans supported him, so why should the terrorism of a few demented Iraqis working with foreign terrorists mean more? We are confronting a massive terrorist assault against the hopes for freedom here. Yes, we are targets, but so are the Iraqis. Therefore, it is vital that we remain committed to this mission. We have defeated Sadr's uprising and dealt him a powerful blow that has signaled all potential would-be tyrants that the U.S. is serious. Contrary to the fudging news, Karbala, Najaf and Kufa have all been abandoned by the Mahdi Army. The local people turned on them, sometimes violently. Today local Iraqi forces secure those cities while the U.S. military is present to support them. Going to these cities was Sadr's ultimate move against us, and it was backed by a huge investment by his foreign allies. All that failed, and now he has retreated and is attempting to save face in politics. He offended the people of the cities his forces invaded, he offended the Iraqi people by claiming alliance with Lebanon's Hezballah and the Palestinian Hamas terrorist groups, and he has disappointed his foreign supporters who thought he would derail our mission here in Iraq. Here in Baghdad we are facing a serious sustained terrorist offensive. This we expected. Just at the point that democracy and self-determination are being advanced for the Iraqis, there will always be these terrorist offensives meant to destroy the progress. We must not cower and apologize for our being here at this time. This is, in fact, the most important time for us to show our resolve. And your soldiers are doing this valiantly. Next to my housing is a Military Police unit that has suffered several serious casualties in the past days. The destroyed hummwvs are a constant reminder. Memorial services for these soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country have been too frequent. Yet, in the face of this tragedy, those soldiers are holding American courage up like the best heroes we have ever had. One of those MP soldiers has been wounded in two separate attacks, shrapnel going through each arm. You might think he is full of fear and wants out of here. He was in fact offered the chance to leave Iraq. Instead, he chose to stay. His commanders told him that if he gets hit four times, they're going to force him to leave. He responded, "then I have two more to go." That MP unit has only been here for five months, but now has several Bronze Stars and Purple Hearts being awarded, in addition to the lost soldiers. ...This is your American soldier. Baghdad will be the focus of the terrorist offensive for a long time. We accept that and are determined to stick it out. You at home need to remain strong in your support and faith in these soldiers. I will be leaving here soon, but the soldiers that remain will need your strength, courage and prayers. The enemies we face are trying to wear us down, to demoralize us, and to take advantage of the political season now under way in America. Don't let them succeed. I think that the weakest point of our whole campaign is actually back in the U.S., because people are being impacted by so many negative and dismaying reports and political discourse. I don't want to sound like a recruiter, but I do believe that at a time when the military is so involved in combat operations world-wide, now is the best time ever for you to volunteer to serve. I'm 36, joined late, and I'm not in good shape. Pat Tillman passed up a $3 million NFL contract to join the military. ...What better way to show the enemy the depth of our resolve than for Americans to volunteer a few years of their lives into our military? This is an extraordinary group of Americans, your soldiers here. While I'm not as capable as most soldiers are, I am glad that I've been able to spend this time with them, serving our country. The challenges are huge, and the prospects for failure are great, but we are doing the right thing and are on the right track. Every day we are making progress, and these changes are influencing the entire Arab world. This is no small matter. I read the same reports you do from so many experts who despair of our victories. Some of them have been angry with me and called me a dreamer. I take that as a compliment. Americans are dreamers, after all, who have made the impossible come true time and time again throughout our history. One such dreamer said in 1964 when looking at the overwhelming odds faced then in the world, "If we fail, at least let our children, and our children's children, say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done." That was Ronald Reagan. He kept the faith and remained strong in his resolve, and he won the Cold War. From The National Center for Public Policy Research IRAQI SECURITY FORCES MAINTAIN ORDER Iraqi security forces are actively defending Iraq from insurgents and extremists. Civil defense forces are conducting 25 to 30 percent of current operations inside Fallujah, and police forces are on duty in Baghdad, Karbala, and other cities to maintain order, particularly as Iraqis gather this weekend for the religious observance of Arabeen. These forces represent the vast majority of Iraqis, who favor an end to violence and are eager to continue Iraq's progress toward democracy. Source: U.S. Department of Defense and Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 4/8/2004 Iraqi National Security Agencies Iraq took an important step this week by establishing three national security agencies: the Ministry of Defense, the Ministerial Committee for National Security, and a new intelligence service. These agencies will be headed by civilians, with oversight by the National Assembly, and will cooperate closely to combat terrorists and insurgents. More than 200,000 Iraqis now serve in the Iraqi security forces. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad and the U.S. Department of Defense 4//7/2004 IRAQIS REJECT VIOLENCE The Iraqi Governing Council issued a statement on April 5 condemning recent acts of violence and calling on Iraqis to continue to work together toward democracy. This reflects the sentiment of an overwhelming majority of Iraqis. According to a recent poll, 78 percent of Iraqis say that attacks against Coalition forces are unacceptable. The vast majority of Iraqis favor an end to violence and hope to build a peaceful, democratic society. Sources: ABC News and the Iraqi Governing Council 4/6/2004 IRAQI MINISTRIES EXPAND LEADERSHIP The first group of deputy ministers -- 28 in all, including six women -- has assumed office in 14 Iraqi ministries. This talented group of professionals, educated in Iraq and abroad, includes seven with PhDs in areas as diverse as agriculture, political science, electrical engineering, and paleontology. They will be responsible for the ministries' daily functions and will help ensure a smooth transition to full sovereignty. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 4/5/2004 PUBLIC WORKS IN IRAQ Iraqis now control their Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works. The ministry's 40,000 employees are working with local officials at some 500 locations across the country, providing clean water, sewage management, and waste collection. Current projects will provide running water to 75 percent of the population - more than at any time in Iraq's history. This is the third ministry to assume direct authority - an important step as Iraq moves toward sovereign government. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 4/3/2004 EDUCATIONAL REFORM IN IRAQ The Ministry of Education is back in the hands of Iraqis today. The Ministry has made remarkable progress in reforming the country's schools. More than 5.5 million children are back in the classroom, and girls now outnumber boys. Overall attendance during exam week was 97 percent. Teachers that were once bound to Saddam's propaganda now encourage open discussion, critical thinking, and the scientific method. This is the second ministry to transition to direct Iraqi control and represents a major milestone towards Iraqi self-government. Sources: Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development 4/2/2004 NEW IRAQI CUSTOMS SERVICE The new Customs Service is making it easier to import goods to Iraq. A modern tracking system now allows the inspection and clearance of goods within 24 hours. When Saddam's regime was in place, it often took more than two weeks for goods to move. In addition, a fair, transparent, and uniform levy of five percent will go to an Iraq reconstruction fund. This transparent customs system will facilitate trade to help revive Iraq's economy. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 4/1/2004 OFFICERS JOIN THE NEW IRAQI ARMY Newly trained Iraqi army officers are assuming a greater role in defending their country. Today, 156 Iraqi army officers graduated from a six-week training course in leadership, law, planning, operations, and logistics. These officers now will assume senior positions in the new Iraqi army. A professional, well-trained army is essential to establishing a secure and stable democracy in Iraq. Sources: Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad and the U.S. Department of Defense. 3/31/2004 COMBATING CORRUPTION IN IRAQ Each Iraqi government ministry is appointing an inspector general to investigate waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. So far, 21 inspectors general have been appointed and are beginning to work with the recently established Commission on Public Integrity to combat corruption at every level of government. This is an important step toward restoring public trust and represents another milepost in Iraq's progression to democracy and the rule of law. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/30/2004 CIVIC PRIDE IN IRAQ'S CAPITAL The CPA, responding to a Baghdad City Council request, is allocating $10 million to brighten the city's public parks, squares and playgrounds. The funding will provide lighting in the capital's outdoor public places, new murals, sculptures, and landscaping. Revitalization of Baghdad's public areas shows civic pride and is another example of the Iraqis' faith in their future. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/29/2004 MEDICINES FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE Today, most Iraqis have medications to treat a variety of diseases. Before liberation, pharmaceutical distribution was based largely on political loyalties and bribery. Teams of pharmaceutical experts are visiting hospitals across Iraq to determine needs and timely delivery mechanisms. In the past 10 months, the Ministry of Health has delivered more than 25,000 tons of pharmaceuticals and supplies to healthcare facilities. Access to modern medicines is another way that the lives of average Iraqis are improving. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/26/2004 IRAQ'S JOINT VENTURE INITIATIVE Private sector investment is fueling Iraq's construction industry. At a recent conference in Baghdad, 25 companies from around the world committed billions of dollars in investment capital for reconstruction projects. Through Iraq's Joint Venture Initiative, these companies will provide Iraqi companies with new technology and management training. This is another important step towards building a vibrant, free market economy in Iraq. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/25/2004 100 DAYS TO SOVEREIGNTY With 100 days until the transfer of sovereignty, Iraqis are making great strides in rebuilding their country. Iraq now has more electrical power than before liberation, 18,000 reconstruction projects are complete, and 2,500 schools have been rebuilt. With the economy picking up and a new transitional administrative law in place, Iraq is now on a path to full democracy in a united nation at peace with its neighbors. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/24/2004 AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY IN IRAQ Today, Iraq has a fully independent judiciary. More than 600 Iraqi judges conduct trials and administer justice in more than 500 courts across the country. An independent judiciary is a key feature of the Transitional Administrative Law and is critical to instilling confidence in the rule of law and establishing democracy in Iraq. Source: Department of Defense 3/23/2004 UMM QASR PORT HELPS IRAQ'S TRADE As Iraq rejoins world markets, the port at Umm Qasr has become a vital resource in expanding the country's economy. More than 65 ships unload grain and other goods at the renovated port every month. All 21 berths are now open to ships, and 243 Iraqi Ports Authority guards help maintain security. These safe, modern, and reliable facilities are serving to boost trade and ensure the efficient delivery of goods to Iraq. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/22/2004 FREE PRESS IN IRAQ Free press is flourishing in Iraq and providing the Iraqi people with access to a variety of news sources. More than 646 journalists have credentials for the new international press center in Baghdad. Many of the journalists write for more than 200 Iraqi newspapers now in circulation across the country. This burgeoning free press is encouraging debate and democracy in Iraq. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/19/2004 DEVELOPING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ Interest in democracy and politics continues to grow in Iraq. To encourage discussions about democracy, libraries are being established across Iraq, and Iraq's newest printing house is dedicated to translating and publishing works on democracy. These texts serve as resources for the Iraqi people as they build a democratic nation that will influence the Middle East and change the world. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad. 3/18/2004 PRIVATE BANKS OPERATE IN IRAQ Iraq is making progress towards a competitive, market-based financial system. Today, Iraqis have a range of banking options ? 19 private banks with 140 branches across the country, and 315 state-owned bank branches that have reopened since liberation. A modern banking system will support a new market economy and economic prosperity in Iraq. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad. 3/17/2004 IRAQIS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE NEW IRAQ A recent poll reveals that Iraqis are optimistic about life after liberation. Fifty-six percent of Iraqis said they feel their lives are better today than they were before the war, and 71 percent said they believe their lives will improve over the next year. Substantial majorities of Iraqis reported that schools, medical care, electricity, and clean water are the same or better than they were under Saddam Hussein's regime. Respondents also expressed increased confidence in their new security forces. The poll results reflect Iraqis' enthusiasm for their new nation's future. Source: The poll was conducted for ABCNEWS, ARD, the BBC and NHK by Oxford Research International of Oxford, England. 3/16/2004 HEALTH CARE FOR IRAQ'S CHILDREN Since the liberation of Iraq, 70 percent of Iraq's 4.3 million children under the age of five have been vaccinated against diseases including polio, tetanus, diphtheria, measles, and tuberculosis. The Ministry of Health is also conducting monthly vaccine days to reach additional children. Access to better health care has helped prevent disease outbreaks and is improving the well-being of children across Iraq. Source: U.S. Agency for International Development 3/15/2004 SECURING IRAQ'S BORDERS Today, there are 8,000 border personnel in Iraq, and the Iraqi Border Police force will soon double. More than 1,000 immigration officers are also being deployed at 20 major border checkpoints. They will track visitors with a high-tech identification system. These new measures will help keep Iraq's borders open to legitimate travel and commerce, while helping to prevent terrorists and foreign fighters from entering the country. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/12/2004 IRAQI WOMEN HELPING EACH OTHER Iraqi women are helping one another develop ways to support themselves and better provide for their families. The Mansour Women's Opportunity Center in Baghdad opened this week and is providing business and vocational training to women and girls, particularly widows and victims of rape, torture and trafficking. In addition, the center will provide micro-credit loans to help women start home-based businesses. Eight other centers will open soon in Baghdad. The centers seek to empower Iraqi women and give them the opportunity to better help their families. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/11/2004 REVIVING IRAQ'S DATE ORCHARDS Iraq's Ministry of Agriculture is establishing 18 new date palm nurseries. The goal is for Iraq to regain its dominant position in the international date market. Once the largest source of date palm tree orchards in the world, half of Iraq's 30 million trees were destroyed during the Iran-Iraq war and the previous regime's draining of the southern marshes. Dates are of symbolic importance to Iraqis and rank as one of the country's leading exports. Source: U.S. Agency for International Development 3/10/2004 REGIONAL DEMOCRACY CENTER OPENS ITS DOORS The same week Iraq adopted its historic "bill of rights," more than 3,000 Iraqis from all walks of life -- representing 150 tribes -- gathered to celebrate the opening of the Regional Democracy Center in Hilla. The center serves as a meeting place and provides information on democracy and the rule of law. In a special videotape, President Bush told the attendees: "The time has come, and your opportunity is here ... your Center already represents an organization that includes all people working together toward this common goal: A democratic Iraq." Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/9/2004 IRAQI WOMEN PREPARE FOR LEADERSHIP ROLE Women are beginning to play an important role in leading Iraq, and new programs seek to assist more women in gaining leadership skills. Through a new $10 million program -- the Women's Democracy Initiative -- women will learn important skills for political advocacy, entrepreneurship, and journalism. Already, newly-opened women's centers in Baghdad, Hilla, Karbala, and other cities have become focal points for women seeking to participate in Iraq's political future. Sources: U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C., and the Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad, Iraq. 3/8/2004 IRAQ'S GOVERNING COUNCIL SIGNS BILL OF RIGHTS This morning, the 25 members of Iraq's Governing Council signed the Transitional Administrative Law or bill of rights. About 450 prominent attendees, including government and elected officials, business leaders, and foreign diplomats, attended the ceremony. The ceremony included a reading from the Koran, children singing, and an appearance by the Baghdad Symphony Orchestra. Today is an important milestone on the road to Iraq's return to sovereignty. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/5/2004 IRAQI SECURITY FORCES FOIL TERROR ATTACKS Iraqi security forces are fighting terrorism. In the north last week, Iraqi police prevented a rocket-propelled grenade attack on a local council meeting by apprehending two men suspected of planning the attack. In a separate incident, the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and the Baghdad police, acting on a tip from a local resident, conducted a joint raid that resulted in the capture of Nahdem Al Marsumi, the leader of a terrorist cell operating in Iraq, and six other suspects. Source: Department of Defense 3/4/2004 IRAQI CENTRE FOR RECONCILIATION, DIALOGUE, AND PEACE Leading Shiite and Sunni clerics and representatives of all of Iraq's religious groups came together at a historic meeting in Baghdad last week and established the Iraqi Centre for Reconciliation, Dialogue, and Peace. Two members of Iraq's Governing Council joined the group, and leaders adopted a 10-point accord in support of freedom of worship and calling for an end to violence. The leaders also pledged to work together towards democracy in Iraq. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/3/2004 MEDICS JOIN IRAQI CIVIL DEFENSE CORPS The Iraqi Civil Defense Corps now has 66 trained medics, men and women who just completed the first combat medic course in Iraq. These new medics learned important life saving skills, including those taught by the U.S. Army's Combat Lifesaver Program. The 66 medics are beginning their service, 16 in Baghdad and 50 medics, in platoons deployed across the country. Source: U.S. Department of Defense 3/2/2004 IRAQIS TO PARTICIPATE IN BOY SCOUTS AND GIRL SCOUTS Thousands of children throughout Iraq will soon be able to participate in an Iraqi Boy Scout and Girl Scout program. The scouting initiative was launched recently with the backing of the World Scouting Organization, the Arab Scout Organization, and some 100 former scouters serving in Iraq. The program will allow boys and girls of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds to join together in activities that promote good citizenship, community service, honor, and self-confidence. Volunteer scouting was first introduced to Iraq in 1921 but was terminated during the Saddam Hussein era. The reestablishment of scouting signals a brighter future for Iraq's youth and is another step forward in reconnecting Iraq with the world community. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 3/1/2004 RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN IRAQ Several million people are undertaking the pilgrimage to Karbala in southern Iraq to observe the Shiite holy day of Ashura. This is the first time in more than three decades that Iraqis will be able to mark Ashura without the shadow of the Baathist regime hanging over the ceremonies. In past years, Saddam Hussein's army and security forces would surround Karbala and Najaf and imprison many Iraqis who attempted to participate in the Ashura observances. Since liberation, Iraqis of all faiths -- including Shiites, Sunnis, Christians, Yazidis, Mandaeans, and Jews -- are enjoying the freedom to openly practice their religious beliefs. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 2/27/2004 IRAQI YOUTH PLAY IN ORGANIZED SOCCER LEAGUES More than 3,000 boys and young men, aged 13 to 23, helped inaugurate a local soccer league in southern Iraq recently. They will play among 180 teams to qualify for a championship tournament later this spring. The league was made possible through the efforts of local Iraqis, the Polish Governance Support Team, and the Coalition Provisional Authority. Other leagues are being organized in cities throughout Iraq, including Diwaniyah, Najaf, Karbala, and Al Kut. A chance at organized soccer has exhilarated these young players and signifies a return to normal life for Iraqi families. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 2/26/2004 IRAQI POLICE BUILD SPECIALIZED SKILLS Despite recent attacks on police and police facilities, Iraqi police officers are patrolling the streets and intensifying training in the specialized skills needed to deal with future threats. A special-reaction police unit in Babil, for example, recently graduated from a five-week program in weapons training, first aid, hostage rescue, and physical training. A strong, well-trained police force is critical as Iraqis take greater responsibility for maintaining security. The officers in this program will now train others throughout the country. Each one of these officers had at least one family member killed by Saddam Hussein's regime. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 2/25/2004 IRAQ'S PRIVATE SECTOR GROWING Private sector development is beginning to fuel Iraq's economy. In Baghdad, markets are full, new stores are opening daily, and there is a great demand for consumer goods and services. Iraqi businesses are joining leading companies from around the world -- from providers of computers, telecommunications, and consumer goods to accounting firms and international hotels -- in making significant investments in Iraq. This is an indication that investors believe in the future of a prosperous, democratic Iraq. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 2/24/2004 PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE IN IRAQ Much of Iraq's rich cultural heritage was threatened under Saddam Hussein's regime, and after the dictator's fall, opportunists pilfered priceless works from some Iraqi museums. Determined to preserve the ancient history of their country, a group of 23 Iraqi specialists -- 15 women and eight men mostly between 25 and 35 years old -- are in the United States for a five-week training program at the Smithsonian Institution. The museum professionals will participate in lectures, discussions, and training in Washington, Philadelphia, and Santa Fe. This is one example of ways that Iraqis, the United States, and other allies are working together to help Iraq reintegrate into the international community. Source: U.S. Department of State and the Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 2/23/2004 IRAQ'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM After years of neglect under Saddam Hussein, Iraq is modernizing health services. The Ministry of Health's 2004 budget is nearly $1 billion, which is nearly 6,000 percent more than what Saddam spent on health care. All 240 hospitals and more than 1,200 primary health clinics are treating patients. Teams of biomedical experts are visiting hospitals to help repair and upgrade medical equipment. As a result of these investments, more and more Iraqis are gaining access to improved health care services. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 2/20/2004 DEMOCRACY IN NAJAF Democracy is taking root in Najaf, where members of the provincial council came together today for a historic meeting to nominate their next governor. Earlier this week, more than 200 men and women celebrated the opening of a new democracy center. The Human Rights and Democracy Center is near the site of several recently discovered mass graves. The center was established to help Iraqis learn more about creating a democratic, sovereign Iraq. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 2/19/2004 IRAQI MINISTRY OF HUMAN RIGHTS A building formerly used by Saddam's Ministry of Defense to repress the citizens of Iraq was re-opened as the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights last weekend. The new Ministry is commissioned "to protect and respect the Iraqi people." Iraqis employed by the Ministry will immediately focus on documenting the fate of hundreds of thousands of those missing at the hands of Saddam's regime, preparing an Iraqi Declaration of Human Rights, and encouraging the growth of independent human rights organizations throughout the country. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 2/18/2004 IRAQI WOMEN LOBBY FOR GREATER POLITICAL RIGHTS Iraqi women are organizing to protect their rights and ensure their interests are represented in the new, free Iraq. Across Iraq, women's groups are holding demonstrations at government offices. In petitions to the Iraq Governing Council, the women are calling for a quota in the transitional national assembly. These demonstrations are a clear example of the growth of Iraq's democracy and the role women will play in directly influencing the future of their country. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 2/17/2004 33,000 IRAQI TEACHERS TRAINED One of the most important ways Iraq is investing in the future is by restoring its education system. This weekend, 11,000 secondary school teachers graduated from a teacher training program designed to help them learn about modern classroom methods. This was the last group of 33,000 secondary school teachers in all 18 of Iraq's governorates to participate in one-week training programs under Iraqi master trainers. Under Saddam Hussein, classrooms were an opportunity to indoctrinate students with pro-Ba'athist propaganda, and teacher training programs like these will help new generations learn in depoliticized environments. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad 2/16/2004 IRAQ POLICE ARREST FORMER BA'ATH PARTY REGIONAL COMMANDER Iraqi police are helping to make their country more secure by investigating, identifying, and arresting former officials of Saddam's regime. This weekend, the National Iraqi Police Service Emergency Response Unit arrested Muhammad Zimam abd al-Razzaq al-Sadun, who is a former Ba'ath Party Regional Command Chairman. His arrest shows that the new Iraqi police force is taking responsibility for Iraq's security. Source: Coalition Provisional Authority, Baghdad More Iraq facts at: www.whitehouse.gov/ogc (Thanks to Jeff Gannon for allowing us to share the above information) About a third of Congress has visited Iraq since May, "and the trips are shifting the political dynamic on Capitol Hill about the war," reports the Christian Science Monitor: Unlike during Vietnam, when congressional visits oftsen fueled lawmakers' opposition to the war, these tours of Iraq are tending, if anything, to blunt antiwar sentiment. In many cases, they are solidifying support in Congress for the military effort. One example: Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, the lone GOP senator to oppose the war in Iraq in 2002, returned from a two-day visit last October convinced that US action had been justified. . . . "It's important to see for yourself and to get some sense of what's going on," says Senator Chafee, who voted for President Bush's $87 billion supplemental request a week after his return from Iraq. He says that his visit convinced him that Iraqis were relieved to see Saddam Hussein toppled. The article doesn't mention if any of the Democratic presidential candidates have visited, but if the ultimate nominee turns out to be an antiwar candidate who hasn't been there (especially if he holds a degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine), President Bush will be able to make an issue of his ignorance. Our Friday item on Howard Dean lying about Saddam Hussein's capture making America safer was based on a Washington Times article that cited what seems to have been a premature count of the number of U.S. servicemen killed in Iraq during December. According to Lunaville.org, which keeps watch on the casualty count, the actual number was 41, not 38. which means December deaths were just over half the November total of 81, not just under as we had said. A look at this breakdown, however, shows that the news was actually better than we'd thought. The total number of coalition troops (including those from outside the U.S.) who died of hostile action plummeted to 32 in December from 94 in November, a 65% decrease. The number of nonhostile deaths--from illness, accidents and so forth--increased slightly, to 17 from 15. Obviously Saddam's capture doesn't make anyone less likely to get sick (well, apart from head lice), but it does seem to have dramatically calmed the hostilities. [Wall Street Journal]
U.S. Force
Pulling Back in the North Things may still be dicey in the "Sunni triangle," but the Washington Post reports from Mosul on progress in northern Iraq: The senior U.S. military commander in northern Iraq said Wednesday that he was beginning to reduce his soldiers' presence in this northern city and turn their security duties over to Iraqi police officers and troops as local government takes root and life slowly returns to normal. Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the 101st Airborne Division, also said he thought it would be possible for the Pentagon to reduce the number of U.S. forces in northern Iraq, without adversely affecting security when fresh forces replace his 20,800 troops in late February or early March. Petraeus said he was reducing the division's footprint in northern Iraq's largest city by pulling troops out of small camps scattered throughout Mosul and consolidating them at larger bases on the outskirts. This contrasts sharply with recent moves by U.S. commanders to increase troop strength in parts of Baghdad and surrounding areas in response to attacks by groups opposed to the U.S. occupation. The New York Times reports from Baghdad that "even here, it is not shrieking anti-Americanism that many people express": "We really feel good for the improvement in our lives," Samir el-Amili, 40, said cheerily as he worked to reopen his demolished jewelry shop on the ground level. "We got something very real from Saddam's going." Saad Atta Mahmoud, 45, a former army officer, was more ambivalent. He grumbled that "the Americans have done nothing good," but said they should stay in Iraq for now. "How could they leave now?" he asked. "Let's say someone came to your house and he made a big mess. He destroys everything and then says, 'Oh, I have to go now.' No, he has to clean things up." Times columnist Thomas Friedman cautions GOP backers of liberation against overconfidence: Republicans seem to think they don't have to think when it comes to Iraq. They only have to applaud the president and whack the press for not reporting more good news from Baghdad--and everything will be fine. Well, think again. I've often pointed out the good we have done in Iraq and unabashedly hoped for more. No regrets. But some recent trends leave me worried. Unfortunately, there are few Democrats to press my worries on the administration. Most Democrats either opposed the war (a perfectly legitimate position) or supported it and are now trying to disown it. That means the only serious opposition can come from Republicans, so they'd better get focused--because there is nothing about the Bush team's performance in Iraq up to now that justifies a free pass. If Republicans don't get serious on Iraq, they will wake up a year from now and find all their candidates facing the same question: "How did your party lose Iraq?" Friedman's point is well taken, though perhaps overly pessimistic. He goes on to offer some reasonable criticisms of his own. But what's most interesting here is the acknowledgment that the Democrats have virtually nothing worthwhile to say on the matter. Love is in the air in Iraq, the Washington Post reports - (from the Wall St. Journal's Best of the Web): Freed of an onerous Baath Party bureaucracy that sought to regulate even the most fundamental aspects of Iraqi life--such as who married whom--Iraqis lately are tying the knot in numbers not seen in recent memory. Before President Saddam Hussein was toppled, the ruling party imposed a complex and strict set of matrimonial rules on Iraqis, particularly on members of the military. And since military service was compulsory for Iraqi men, the effects were pervasive. Now civil servants estimate at least twice as many couples are registering for marriage as were a year ago. . . . "Because Saddam is gone, now I'm getting married!" said Wasim Adel, 27, beaming beside his bride, Sheelan Shafeeq, 18, in a crowded corridor at Karrada city hall, which serves a neighborhood in central Baghdad. The hallway was jammed with couples making their way from the office of the registration clerk to the office of the judge who would perform a civil ceremony. Four couples waited ahead of Adel and Shafeeq. "There is no comparison between now and before," said Kamel Abbas Tammimi, Karrada's senior judge. "Now there are no obstacles." Yesterday's New York Times
carried a story with the headline "Iraqis Get Used to Life Without
Hussein, and Many Find They Like It." The Times is reporting something
good, and that's progress, but it'd be nice if they'd bring us some good
news for a change. From the Wall Street Journal - 10.24.03 "One of the chief arguments against coalition intervention in Iraq was that military action there would 'destabilize the region,' " notes Jerry Bowyer on TechCentralStation.com. Bowyer applies a market test to this argument and finds it wanting: Looking at the countries with readily available [stock] market indices--Israel TA-100, Turkish ISE National-100, Pakistani Karachi 100, Egyptian CMA--we find that every one of those indices has risen over the time period, from George Bush's ultimatum on March 17th to now. Egypt is up 19.3%; Israel is up 29.3%; Turkey is up 45.1%; and the-powder-keg-known-as-Pakistan is up an astonishing 67.5%! "The U.S. command said Thursday crime rates in Iraq dropped significantly in the past two weeks as Iraqi police tightened their control on security," United Press International reports from Baghdad: U.S. Gen. Mike Hazelink, who is in charge of security in the Iraqi capital, said car thefts dropped by 50 percent, homicide by 65 percent and armed robberies by 30 percent, according to the latest statistics tabulated by coalition forces. And the BBC reports that "Afghanistan is to compete in a beauty contest for the first time in more than 30 years and almost two years after the fall of the oppressive Taleban regime": Vida Samadzai, 25, who has lived in the United States since 1996, will compete alongside 60 other women from across the world for the Miss Earth title in Manila, the Philippines, contest organisers said. Ms Samadzai, or Miss Afghanistan as she will be known in the competition, will take part in all sections of the contest, including the swimsuit section. The Hindustan Times has a nice collection of photos of the Afghan beauty.
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