Saving Grace / 2-6 infantry - (Positive Things Going on in Iraq that our media does not report on)

Wednesday, November 19, 2003 Saving Grace I read this article in one of the newspapers published in Baghdad named (Baghdad Now), and I found it worthy to be republished in the blog. Here it goes: “The st. Catherine de Siena orphanage is a Catholic orphanage in eastern part of Baghdad, the orphanage is home to 30 children ranging in age from 7 to 17, the children were homeless, and taken in by the sisters of The st.Catherine de Siena orphanage. The children rescued by the sisters of The st.Catherine de Siena were saved from a life of abject poverty and pain, the children are well cared for an educated under the watchful eyes of the Catholic nuns. When the soldiers of the second battalion, 6th infantry regiment first discovered the orphanage, it was in a desperate of repairs. The classrooms were in poor condition and the water delivery system was exposed to the elements creating a deadly health hazard. The inhabitants of The st.Catherine also did not have consistent power due to faulty wiring and lacked fuel for their back up generator. Together working with the staff at the orphanage, CPT Redmond, commander of headquarters and headquarters company 2-6 infantry quickly established a plan to improve living conditions. The first priority was to get a power supply up and running several hundred gallons of diesel fuel were supplied to the orphanage for the generator, which put the orphanage on the path to refurbishment. With power established repairs to the orphanage could begin their much-needed repairs. Iraqi contractors were hired to assess the damage and the required repairs.

Armed with the contractor’s estimates, CPT Redmond, submitted a request to the US army and was granted 50 000 $. These funds would be used to replace broken windows, repair electrical wiring, replace doors, provide 10 much needed air-conditioning units and build an enclosure for the water delivery system in order to prevent disease. With repairs to the orphanage ongoing the soldiers implemented a security plan. A facilities protection service (FPS) guard was permanently posted at the gate and an observation post established by the soldiers from the Gator Battalion, so the children would be able to go to sleep under the watchful eyes of law-abiding citizens. After almost 2 months of hard work the repairs to The st.Catherine de Siena orphanage were completed on October 2nd 2003 . Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the orphanage staff and the soldiers from 2-6 infantry, the future leaders of Iraq are on a path to prosperity.” Great work, what do you think?

“The st. Catherine de Siena orphanage is a Catholic orphanage in eastern part of Baghdad, the orphanage is home to 30 children ranging in age from 7 to 17, the children were homeless, and taken in by the sisters of The st.Catherine de Siena orphanage.."

When the soldiers of the second battalion, 6th infantry regiment first discovered the orphanage, it was in a desperate of repairs. The classrooms were in poor condition and the water delivery system was exposed to the elements creating a deadly health hazard.

...With repairs to the orphanage ongoing the soldiers implemented a security plan.

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Heroes veering off the plan, again.

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Thursday, November 27, 2003

Happy id for everyone.

This is the first id after Saddam's gone. I’d like you my brothers of all religions and convictions to share my happiness with me.
This is the first time I choose my id.
I can not tell you exactly how I feel but I believe the true feelings will find their way to the hearts of the good.
In the past and with every id we used to repeat an old Arabic verse that expresses our grieve, a verse that you would have heard from most of the Iraqis, it goes:
Oh id,
With what sorrow you have come!
Oh id,

Now I can see this verse only on the lips of the remains of the regime, who found it hard to see the joy and happiness in our eyes, while they're tied and incapable of killing it again.
They might try to terrorize us through planting explosives here and there but they definitely won't be able to force us to send our blessings to the (legendary and inspired leader) the gift of god as the paid off Iraqi media used to call him.
No one ever will force us to pray for loudly in our mosques and churches wishing god to prolong his life to guide us from victory to victory.
At least we're not forced to see him on TV wearing his fancy suit presenting generous gifts to his sick-minded mercenary.
This id, no one told me that I must write slogans on my shop or my front door saying (yes..yes..yes..to our beloved leader ,the defender of the Arab honor and the brave knight of the whole Arab nation).

I decided to break the tradition of visiting the relatives and exchanging gifts with them, instead of that I went out to the streets to share the largest no. of Iraqi people the joy of the id.
As this time it's not official, but it's the people's id.
Yes I admit there was some sort of worry in the eyes of people that one can not miss, as the future is still vague for most of the Iraqis, but you also won't miss the optimism in the eyes of the young generations.
Mixed with that there was the grief and heartache for our brothers who we still miss.
Rise my brother from your mass graves for without you our happiness will never be perfect.
We won't forget you, for it was your struggle and your blood which was shed fighting the tyrant.
Without you the world would have never even heard of our misery and we would have never been free.

You ask me not to feel gratitude to those who set me free, ask for what is more realistic.
I say it with all my heart: may Allah bless America, UK, Italy, Spain, Australia, Poland and Ukraine.
For through the sacrifices of their sons and daughters on this land, smile has found it's way to our faces.
You have to be proud for what you have done.

I will never forget this and let whoever accuse me with whatever.
I will teach it to my children so that they may grow free, helping the good people fight for others happiness.

Happy id for all.

- posted by Omar @ 15:12

Omar's posting for 11/27/03 (an Iraqi in Iraq)
http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/

Good posting,...emphasizes the need to clarify why the US is in Iraq.

We removed Hussein from overt power/ control of Iraq as we will any foreign national leader who supports Islamic terrorists in any planning or attempt to attack Americans and our national interests.

We acknowledge a separation of Church and State, not religion and state, nor do we favor atheism or agnosticism over faith in God.

We have found that faith in God is an individually based initiative unenforcable by any State and accordingly do not condemn that which might be the basis of foreign faith in God. We have also found that Scripture made available through the canon of the Holy Bible provides the most accurate truth of His Word available in this age. We therefore, encourage those with newly found freedom to place the study of Scripture first and support your self governance as a separate nation as soon as possible.

one more... One Iraqi Blogger's quick thoughts on Bush being in Iraq (they say they will post more later about it)

http://www.healingiraq.com/

Thursday, November 27, 2003

Hi friends,

I have just come back from an exhausting trip. I didn’t know about the Thanks Giving Holiday until I heard on my way back on the car radio the news of the President’s landing in Baghdad Airport. The news stirred very strong emotions in me. I will be telling you something about it tomorrow (Inshalla). Thanks to all of you for your Eed congratulations.

Happy Thanks Giving to you all.

God Bless

Alaa

Hi Everybody,

Very quick note before I turn in for the night.

The visit of the President has produced quite an effect. I am personally very moved by it. Also I notice the effect on those around me.

Alaa

(maybe they will post more later today about)

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