Posted on 08/15/2005 12:23:49 PM PDT by Chickenhawk Warmonger
Since the war in Iraq began, there has been a breakdown of critical thinking in this country. Forget what the official reports say. The interpretation of the report by the media or Internet sources is what is important. There are people in this country that believe Al-Jazeerah and the terrorists before they will believe any statement issued by the government. Cindy Sheehan and her comrades get front page billing while spouting half-truths and flat out lies about the situation in Iraq.
Day after day we are subjected to nothing but “bad” news from Iraq. A suicide bombing here, a convoy attacked there, an IED exploding over there. If one only listened and watched the evening news, you would believe that the terrorist attacks were the only thing going on in Iraq. According to the media, there is no good news out of Iraq.
Rep. Maxine Waters believes that if the good news from Iraq was broadcast it would diminish the deaths of soldiers from suicide bombings, etc. What a pile of manure! By constantly beating the drum of bad things happening, the Liberals can continue to base all of their arguments on the “quagmire” in Iraq. Good things in Iraq mean that President Bush and our country are on the right track. That is the last thing the Liberals want the American public to hear.
I check out the Department of Defense website frequently for official reports on the situation in Iraq. Most of this information is never picked up by the media. So as a dedicated member of the Pajamahadeen, I feel it is my duty to bring this information out in the open. For those that like sources to back up information, all of the facts listed below can be found in the Iraq Weekly Status Report and Iraq Reconstruction reports on the War on Terror pages of the Department of Defense website.
-As of June 22, 2005, construction was underway on 145 new primary healthcare facilities. Over 110 primary health facilities have been rehabilitated. Equipment has been procured for over 600 health centers.
-More than 3 million children under the age of five have received their vaccinations since reconstruction began. The Ministry of Health completed the second round of the national polio campaign. All children under five years of age received the oral polio vaccine.
-A total of 3218 schools have been rehabilitated as of August 10, 2005. An additional 775 are undergoing rehabilitation. Renovations include structural repairs, plumbing and electrical upgrades. The renovations also include new playgrounds, blackboards, heaters, lockers, desks and other school furnishings.
-The University of Oklahoma refurbished university libraries in Iraq including the Internet Computer Center at the University of Babil which officially opened in May.
-The total trained and equipped Iraqi Security Forces is approximately 178,200 as of August 10 – approximately 98,500 are police and interior forces while approximately 79,700 are military forces
-There are 28 countries and NATO supporting Iraqi stability operations as of August 4. Jordan is assisting in Iraqi police training at the International Police Training Center in Amman, Jordan.
-In February 2005, a contract was signed to build six new Iraqi Navy ships. The ships will be built in Iraq by Iraqis. The Iraqi Air Force received two UH-1H Huey helicopters in Feb 2005. The refurbished helicopters were a gift from Jordan. Fourteen more, for a total of 16, are due to arrive in Iraq by February 2006.
-The Coalition has rebuilt 11 power plants and erected 1400 power towers. The demand for electricity has skyrocketed due to the use of televisions, air conditioners and other appliances by Iraqi citizens.
-As of August 3, there were over 2.9 million active cellular subscribers in Iraq. Landline subscriptions increased to 997,675. During Saddam’s reign there were approximately 833,000 landline subscribers and no cellular service.
-In May 2005, two Kirkuk rail station reconstruction projects were completed. The Iraq Republic Railroad supervised all of the renovations.
-On June 4, 2005, the Basrah Airport began civilian flights. Regular flights between Hawler International Airport in Irbil and Baghdad began running three times a week.
-Women occupy 31% of the seats in the 275 member Transitional National Assembly of Iraq.
-Women lead the ministries of Displacement and Migration, Telecommunications, Municipalities and Public Works, Environment, Science and Technology and Women’s Affairs.
-On April 10, 2005 a construction company owned by an Iraqi woman won the contract bid for renovation of an existing police station. This was the first contract awarded to an Iraqi businesswoman.
-A total of 90 water treatment projects were under construction as of June 22, 2005. Sixty-two projects were completed. The first of 27 new compact water treatment units opened in Sadr City on July 19.
-At the end of June 2005, Iraqi Marines took over security at the oil platforms. The weekly average crude oil production for August 1-7 was 2.22 million barrels a day.
-On August 9, the United States transferred the International Press Center to the Iraqi Government Communications Directorate.
-Almost a quarter of a million Iraqis of various ethnic and religious groups took part in meetings, including radio and television debates, to help draft Iraq’s new constitution
-The Iraqi National Soccer League resumed play on June 12, 2005. More than 10,000 fans watched Basra defeat Dahouk. Not only did the teams sport new uniforms but the Dahouk team did not get tortured after their loss.
While Saddam Hussein was in power, children in lower economic regions attended school in mud and reed huts. Iraq was not known for its sanitation systems. Most communities relied on slit trenches which left sewage pooling in the street. Many Iraqis lived without fresh water. When it rained, sewage ran through the streets. For those of us that have lived our lives in comfortable homes with running water and toilets, it is difficult to imagine living in a situation like that. Thanks to our soldiers and the sacrifices they have made, the Iraqis are enjoying some of the benefits that we take for granted. Is there anything nobler than that?
There have been quite a few threads on positive news out of Iraq. I hope this continues.
Here is a good link to the "Iraq Weekly Status Report". Enjoy!
http://www.defendamerica.mil/downloads/Iraq-WeeklyUpdate-20050810.pdf
Well there is an old news axiom if it bleeds, it leads....Fortunately there are people who can be balanced and fair. But, unfontunately all that the left has got is conspiracy theories and bad news.
WOW! Thanks for the link! The whole site is awesome!
Thank you!
BTTT
No prob.
I go there just about daily.
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