War And Reconstruction In Iraq Pay Off For America

Detroit News | July 14, 2004 | U.S. Rep. Joseph Knollenberg

[Former Military Chick]

Detroit News July 14, 2004

War And Reconstruction In Iraq Pay Off For America

Despite an unrelenting drumbeat of negative news, Iraqis and coalition forces make substantial progress in freedom, safety, health and development

By U.S. Rep. Joseph Knollenberg

Three months of relentlessly negative media coverage of the situation in Iraq may have left many here wondering whether our efforts in Iraq were really worth it.

While there were and are legitimate issues in Iraq to be covered by the media that may not put our country in the best light, that unrelenting drumbeat of negativity has obscured and ignored the substantial progress that has been made.

There are still many challenges, but as the turnover of sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government has been completed, it is appropriate to look again at why we are in Iraq. To answer that, we must ask two questions: Because of our efforts in Iraq, is the United States more secure, and are the Iraqi people better off?

Let’s be clear — Saddam Hussein and his regime were a destabilizing force in an unstable region. They clearly harbored hostile intentions against the United States, invaded two other countries, used biological and chemical weapons against the Iranians and Kurds, harbored known terrorists, financially rewarded homicide bombers in Israel, refused to comply with United Nations mandates and on and on.

We could no longer turn a blind eye. There was no better choice but to oust Saddam and no other country capable.

Yes, it is indisputably better for the United States that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power.

This leads to the second question: Are the Iraqi people better off?

While the threat of terrorist attacks remain, Iraqis no longer have to live in fear of a regime that murdered hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Iraqis during its reign of terror. That alone makes the situation better.

But the improvements go beyond that. All 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open as well as all 240 hospitals and more than 1,200 health clinics. We have helped rehabilitate more than 2,500 schools. The country’s infrastructure, neglected for decades under Saddam, is being rebuilt. Iraqi oil is filling the country’s coffers, not building palaces. There is an endless list of achievements.

You don’t have to take my word for it. In fact, you can read many first hand accounts of the situation in Iraq from Iraqis themselves on their Internet blogs.

The authors of these blogs speak frankly about the challenges and struggles they face every day living in Iraq. But they also write with an optimism and hope about the future of their country that rarely surfaces here in the mainstream media. I encourage you to take a minute to see what Iraqis are really saying about their own country.

We should also consider the actions of Iraqi-Americans here. Despite the terrorist attacks and unsettled nature of Iraq, they have not been scared away. Iraqi-Americans are actively working on a large-scale program to promote goodwill in Iraq. They have confidence that they and their fellow Iraqis will succeed in creating a safe, free and democratic Iraq. I’m proud to be working with this group, and I hope more will join to make this program a success.

Questioning some of our strategic decisions and other actions in Iraq is not a bad thing. It is the sign of the healthy democracy that we have in our country.

Mistakes have been made (in fact, it’s hard to envision a scenario where mistakes wouldn’t be made), but goals have been realized as well.

As power is turned over to the interim Iraqi government, we must also see that our efforts and sacrifices there are worthy of our great nation.

It was an effort worthy of our great nation to remove the odious regime of Saddam Hussein. It is an effort worthy of our great nation to help rebuild Iraq and fight the terrorists who are trying to destabilize it. It will have been an effort worthy of our great nation to leave Iraq a stable and democratic country.

We are engaged in a race against time — will the ability of the terrorists to carry out their brutal, but strategically insignificant, attacks outlast our will to finish the job in Iraq?

I believe the American people are made of sterner stuff than our enemies give us credit for, that we see the value and possibilities that a free Iraq offers this country and the world.

Let us recognize the challenges that remain, but steel ourselves to see this through to a successful end. And once and for all, we will demonstrate to our enemies that we have the fortitude to make this world a better place for all.

U.S. Rep. Joseph Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills, represents Michigan’s Ninth Congressional District.

[doug from upland]

Great news. Spread the word far and wide.

[musicman]

Great Post !!...BTTT !!

[Former Military Chick]

I am glad you found a truthful article. Hard to come by these days. I am always looking through the Early Bird for articles such as this one, but, they are hard to find. He seems like a congressman that I would love to have in Kansas, but, we don't live in a perfect world, do we?

I am going to forward this to several papers, perhaps they will print it as a guest commentary. Stranger things have happened.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!!!

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Thanks for the ping.
Too bad it can be dismissed as a Pub talking point. Would have preferred it to be written by a correspondent. Would also have been nice if he cited the blogs or told the readers words to search on.

[Arrowhead1952]

I believe the American people are made of sterner stuff than our enemies give us credit for, that we see the value and possibilities that a free Iraq offers this country and the world.

Thanks for the ping, Tonk.

I'll bet my paycheck the RATs will read this at the DNC convention and the media will run it as their lead story on the evening news. </ sarcasm>

[Arrowhead1952]

I didn't see either of your names on this thread, so just giving you a good news in Iraq ping. See my reply to Tonk just above this one. The media will report this on A-1 above and the lead story on all the major networks - NOT.

[MEG33]

Thanks for the Good News ping....!

God bless our armed forces and all people who are working to build a better Iraq.

[dano1]

Bump

[IPWGOP]

Thanks very much for posting this!! Our efforts over there are so grossly misreported by the mainstream press...

[blackie]

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[MeekOneGOP]

Oh, yeah. Great article. Too bad you NEVER will hear it on the Lamestream Media.

[SwinneySwitch]

Saddamn also indiscriminately fired Scud missles into Israel and Saudi Arabia!

[radu]

Excellent find indeed, Former Military Chick!! Thanks for posting it.
I bookmarked several Iraqi blog sites last year and check in on them when I can. They and FR have been the best way I can think of to keep up with what's really going on in Iraq.

The media STILL doesn't understand

I believe they understand all too well....they're just determined to make sure the masses don't understand.

Thanks bunches for the pings, Tonk and Sand Rat!!! I'd say this is a mass e-mail. :-)

[kimosabe31]

Thanks for the links Valin. Some really interesting comments.

[Valin]

I really have become hooked on these mideast blogs.