Related Information to Post War Iraq

Post War Iraq - Page 48

I am going to quote this letter in its entirety. As someone else said, we have over 135,000 people on the ground in Iraq. The news agencies of 50 - 70, most of whom rarely leave the hotels.

As I head off to Baghdad for the final weeks of my stay in Iraq, I wanted to say thanks to all of you who did not believe the media. They have done a very poor job of covering everything that has happened. I am sorry that I have not been able to visit all of you during my two-week leave back home. And just so you can rest at night knowing something is happening in Iraq that is noteworthy, I thought I would pass this on to you. This is the list of things that has happened in Iraq recently. Please share it with your friends and compare it to the version that your paper/TV is putting out:

* Over 400,000 kids have up-to-date immunizations.
* School attendance is up 80% from levels before the war.
* Over 1,500 schools have been renovated and rid of the weapons stored there so education can occur.
* The port of Um Qasar was renovated so grain can be off-loaded from ships faster.
* The country had its first 2 billion barrel export of oil in August.
* Over 4.5 million people have clean drinking water for the first time ever inIraq.
* The country now receives two times the electrical power it did before the war.
* 100% of the hospitals are open and fully staffed, compared to 35% before the war.
* Elections are taking place in every major city, and city councils are in place.
* Sewer and water lines are installed in every major city.
* Over 60,000 police are patrolling the streets.
* Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police are securing the country.
* Over 80,000 Iraqi soldiers are patrolling the streets side by side with US soldiers.
* Over 400,000 people have telephones for the first time ever
* Students are taught field sanitation and hand-washing techniques to prevent the spread of germs.
* An interim constitution has been signed.
* Girls are allowed to attend school.
* Textbooks that don't mention Saddam are in the schools for the first time in 30 years.

Don't believe for one second that these people do not want us there. I have met many, many people from Iraq that want us there, and in a bad way. They say they will never see the freedoms we talk about, but they hope their children will. We are doing a good job in Iraq and I challenge anyone, anywhere to dispute me on these facts.

So if you happen to run into John Kerry, be sure to give him my email address and send him to Denison, Iowa. This soldier will set him straight. If you are like me--very disgusted with how this period of rebuilding has been portrayed--e-mail this to a friend and let them know there are good things happening.

Ray Reynolds, SFC
Iowa Army National Guard
234th Signal Battalion

Iraq War Post

Interesting letter. While I won't dispute the facts and/or figures stated, I would like to mention my thought on one aspect: there are a lot of 'facts and figures' given in that letter. Unless, this soldier, Ray Reynolds, is directly in charge or all those setups and programs ... which is not plausible, directly and physically attend to all those activities at all those places in Iraq .... which is impossible, my question is how did he get to know all those things that are currently happening there?

So, he must have been fed those information by someone, some groups or some 'authorities'. Being a good soldier that he probably is, he may have felt compelled to reassure his folks back home that all those things are happening without much to the contrary. His intentions are probably good and genuine, but couldn't there have been an iota of doubt that those are really 'facts and figures' fed to him by his superiors to lift his morale and sense of purpose for being in Iraq?

Just to bring up the flip side..... and I don't mean to say that he is lying, neither am I saying that you are, Nighthawk.

Post War Iraq History & Civil Business Politics

Actually, most of those figures have been published in various places, at various times, over the last few months. But the media won't report any of this, as it goes against their agenda of denigrating GWB and the war effort.

Don't just cast aspersions on the facts. Disprove them.

Page 48 Iraq War Post

follow-up from thread on Iraqi prisoners....

The true genesis of the US credibility gap, which is also the major problem with this war, is understanding the reason for the invasion of Iraq . The US has provided different reasons as the war progresses. At the risk of repeating myself, Saddam and the Iraqi people were not a direct threat to the US. I can't recall one incident of an act of terrorism where Iraqis were involved. Please don't tell us it was to free the Iraqi people from a tyrant, I don't think Americans give a hoot about some poor Iraqi and probably very few if any new where Iraq is located

Today the US is stuck with a real mess on it's hands with no realistic pull out plan or even an idea on what to do post June 30. It seems that if it can't be resolved with a gun or bomb ie force, Americans don't no what in h... to do. Yes you have the biggest guns, the cash , but what about the skills of diplomacy, understanding other cultures (no all of US love Mickey or the WWF) and values. What makes you believe that you can introduce lasting change by dropping 35,000 bombs on a country, detaining 10-15,000 people, controlling it's resources, imposing your style of government etc..... and now there may be a good chance that some of the actions you committed on the Iraqi people may no better than what Saddam did. Sorry for being a little harsh but this is how the rest of the world sees it. We can't all be wrong.

The US will not be able to stay in Iraq unless it is ready to sacrifice many more lives, the war in Iraq is now never ending. I know you all believe the US can do it alone, you are 100% wrong.

As for the US getting to the bottom of torture scandal, I also believe you will, but if the US can not convince others that justice was applied you will not regain you credibility, in fact it will only re-enforce the conviction of many that control of Iraqi oil was the only and true reason for the invasion.

Iraq War Post

In war are there any winners?

AL-SADR DEFIANT AS U.S. TROOPS KILL SCORES
U.S. soldiers battled insurgents led by a rebel Shiite cleric on Friday, killing scores of Iraqis, as the cleric delivered a defiant, derisive sermon that dismissed President Bush's expressions of regret for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.
https://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C1249%2C...61757%2C00.html

Post War Iraq

The big question... can Iraq handle the hand-over?

The Iraqi Human Rights Minister who resigned last week after the infamous abuse photos came out now says that he had complained repeatedly to President Bush's representative in Iraq, Paul Bremer, about abuses inside the prison. The fact that an Iraqi official resigned in protest is symptomatic of the difficulties confronting the Bush administration. It shows that Iraqis who were once willing to help make the transition to Iraqi sovereignty may not be as supportive these days. And in looking at that part of the Iraq story - the Iraqi political part - there are significant developments in Iraq that are colliding. In Baghdad, tough times for Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN representative picked by President Bush to appoint an interim Iraqi government for the June 30th handover. The eight main Iraqi political parties are complaining that some current political leaders (mostly former Iraqi exiles appointed by the U.S.) will be frozen out of the process when Brahimi makes his selection.

There are also military developments on the ground. There were signs that things are getting better in Fallujah today. After several months of intense fighting, the U.S. and Iraqi forces manned joint patrols around the city. It was relatively peaceful. Meanwhile, in Sadr City, there was heavy fighting between forces loyal to rebel cleric, Moqtada Al-Sadr and U.S. troops overnight. 35 militia members were killed. In response, Al-Sadr has called upon his Shia community and militiamen to fight to take up arms against the occupation forces. In Basra, a new militia group is also calling for violence against coalition forces there. The U.S. has been carrying out operations in two of Iraq's holiest cities, Karbala and Najaf, in an attempt to deal with Al-Sadr resistance. It's touchy because of the danger of some kind of revolt if holy sites are attacked.

So, with the handover is six weeks away, and with so much to deal with on the ground, and a public relations nightmare at home and abroad, how does the U.S. prioritize the growing list of issues and what can it really accomplish in a short period of time?

Ref. Gerry Holmes and the Nightline Staff, ABCNEWS Washington D.C.

Post War Iraq - Page 48

I'm sitting here almost numb. I haven't seen the video, and don't expect to see it. I know what is in it.

Where are the condemnations from the "religion of peace"? Will they show up at all? I have heard that Nick Berg was Jewish, if so, I doubt there will be any condemnation.

Deskmerc put into words a lot of what I am feeling and thinking.

We kill mad dogs. These people aren't human. They use human emotion and civilization to attempt to justify themselves, but they can't. They take pleasure in the deaths of 3000 innocent human beings. They take pleasure in the murder of a man who was trying to bring knowledge, technology, and civilization to a people who have been denied all three for decades. They take pleasure in the cold-blooded murder of innocent women and children.

And, they proclaim "allahu akbar" as they do it.

Post War Iraq Politics Business Civil & History - Page 48

Dear Nighthawk=
Thanks soo much for your wonderful,positive writing!!I can't tell you what a nice change it was to hear that this has all been worth something,and is very appreciated!My brother was there for a year and is going back there soon. It makes me so mad to see all that negative stuff on the news.I am happy to see that huge list of improvements.I was sympathetic for Iraq,and really wanted them to have their freedom.A lot of people have been lecturing me on how it doesnt matter what we do,and that nothing good was accomplished,and we should mind our own business.I think that is ignorant-many were suffering terribly over there.I will most definately spread your post to all my contacts!
Take care!
Faeriehorse