This actually stems from a conversation John Doe and I were having in another thread and she stated it should be a thread of it's own so as not to disrupt the subject of the other, and I agree.
While death and destruction is always first and foremost on reporting coming from Iraq, rarely do we hear about the positives. Am I saying things are actually all joyous over there? Absolutely not! But to assume it's nothing more than a giant shithole created by the US invasion/occupation is wrong. Keep in mind, these things have all been accomplished in a few short years, which is miraculous by itself. If it continues at this rate, how much better will Iraq be in 20 years if the issue with sectarian violence can get some sort of conclusion or truce worked out?
Also part of the reasoning behind pointing these things out is concerning the money spent by the USA and where it goes. Of course the military uses a huge chunk towards ongoing operations but to assume the money is used solely for "destruction and death" is very misleading. Billions have been poured into Iraq's infrastructure and economy. But IMO, the killing and/or capturing of thousands of terrorists alone is worth the price tag thus far.
Saddam and his regime are gone.http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/...00_terror.htmlHundreds, if not thousands, of terrorists have been killed.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of terrorists have been captured.
http://www.usaid.gov/iraq/accomplishments/health.htmlPrimary health care is improving
http://www.usaid.gov/iraq/accomplish...ectricity.htmlElectricity is improving - huge improvements have been made since 2002
http://www.usaid.gov/stories/iraq/ss_iraq_water.htmlWater has become potable
http://www.usaid.gov/press/factsheet.../fs051207.html (and this also covers a lot of everything else)Sewage systems being restored
#9 on previous linkSchools - rebuilt 3,000 schools, 20 million new textbooks and trained 133,000 teachers
#6 on previous link, and:Economy is improving
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16241340/site/newsweek/
http://www.cpa-iraq.org/transcripts/...erpresscon.htmIraq has over 400 functioning courts, maybe more by now
http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/...complished.pdf (and much, much more in this document.) - Do not easily dismiss because document resides on Fox News - the sources are from the Defense Department, State Department, Coalition Provisional Authority, US Army, USMC, US Navy, USAID...Doctors salaries are 8x more then they were under Saddam
Look under Healthcare in prior document, and: http://www.keepingapace.com/blogarch...unreported.phpPharmaceutical distribution from nothing to being delivered by the tons
http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/18393Banks are improving, loans going out and people are opening accounts
Hell, they were illegal before the war! - http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0429/p06s01-woiq.htmlFor once, Iraqi's can get satellite dishes
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opi...tory?track=rssOver 200 newspapers available
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/Baghdad: One year ago, much of Baghdad was under siege. Today, most of Baghdad's neighborhoods are being patrolled by Coalition and Iraqi forces who live among the people they protect. Many schools and markets are reopening, citizens are coming forward with vital intelligence, sectarian killings are down, and ordinary life is beginning to return.
Diyala Province: One year ago, much of Diyala Province was a sanctuary for al Qaeda and other extremist groups, and its capital of Baqubah was emerging as an al Qaeda stronghold. Today, Baqubah is cleared, Diyala Province is the site of a growing popular uprising against the extremists, and some local tribes are working alongside Coalition and Iraqi forces to clear out the enemy and reclaim their communities.
Shia Extremists And Militants: One year ago, Shia extremists and Iranian-backed militants were gaining strength and targeting Sunnis for assassination. Today, these groups are being broken up, and many of their leaders are being captured or killed.
http://www.iraqmarshes.org/successstories.htmIraq's Marshlands Restoration Program - Behind the scenes of the glaring media reports of violence and the difficulties faced in working in such a harsh and dangerous environment the program continues to implement the activities in set out to accomplish when the first design team set foot in Iraq on Feb 3. The Iraq Marshlands Restoration Program in Basrah continues to be a staffed exclusively by Iraqis and implemented by Iraqis.
http://www.cipe.org/regional/mena/ir...t_august06.pdfIntroduced "Business Talk Television". Trained over 250 business association executives and board members. Organized over 55 policy roundtable programs with Baghdad University, think tanks and other business associations. Engaged over 30 political parties in issues of economic reform. Built a nationwide virtual network of business associations and chambers of commerce, providing them with computer and internet equipment, websites & computer training.
http://blog.nam.org/CPA%20Accomplish...0in%20Iraq.pdfMinistry of Health accomplishments:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/icd/iraq/iraq.aspFAS is working in close partnership with other agencies in the U.S. government to assure the food security of the people of Iraq right now and for the future.
In 2006, FAS placed its first agricultural advisors on provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) in Iraq.
The FAS personnel on PRTs work actively with other U.S. agencies, the U.S. military, aid organizations and the Iraqi government to help Iraq harness its economic potential to recreate jobs and other opportunities for its people. FAS is working to support Iraq's agricultural sector by assessing needs, sharing technical expertise, and developing projects.
http://untoldiraq.protectedsite.net/page.cfm?id=79 Million New math and science textbooks printed and distributed with pro-Saddam propaganda extracted. 600 New judges presently working in Iraqi Courts of Law. $1 billion - Current budget for the Iraqi Ministry of Health; 25 times greater than the $16 million annual budget under Saddam's reign. 700,000 Pregnant Iraqi women received a tetanus toxoid vaccination to improve their pre-natal healthcare. 1,005,580 Iraqi telephone subscribers; a 20 percent increase from under Saddam. 81 Iraqi women serve on neighborhood and district councils around Baghdad.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi...&date=20040719One sector of Iraqi society where remarkable progress has been realized is in the lives of Iraqi women. After decades of repression and government-sponsored torture and abuse, Iraqi women now have access to educational and professional opportunities. And they are fully embracing the new opportunities by taking jobs as government officials, educators, small-business owners, police and security guards, and engineers. The new constitution also includes a provision calling for a target of 25 percent representation for women in the forthcoming transitional national assembly.