Since May 1st. . . .

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | 12/03/03 | Anonymous

[kattracks]

This list has appeared in numerous venues, including Free Republic. Its contents are based upon the October 9, 2003, Press Conference of Paul Bremer, Coalition Provisional Authority Administrator -- The Editors.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the first battalion of the new Iraqi Army has graduated and is on active duty·   

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... over 60,000 Iraqis now provide security to their fellow citizens.

Since  President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...nearly all of Iraq’s 400 courts are functioning. 

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... the Iraqi judiciary is fully independent.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...on Monday, October 6 power generation hit 4,518 megawatts—exceeding the pre-war average.

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1, by October 1, Coalition forces had rehabbed over 1,500 schools - 500 more than their target. 

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... teachers earn from 12 to 25 times their former salaries.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...all 240 hospitals and more than 1200 clinics are open.

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...doctors’ salaries are at least eight times what they were under Saddam.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...pharmaceutical distribution has gone from essentially nothing to 700 tons in May to a current total of 12,000 tons.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the Coalition has helped administer over 22 million vaccination doses to Iraq’s children.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...a Coalition program has cleared over 14,000 kilometers of Iraq's 27,000 kilometers of weed-choked canals.  They now irrigate tens of thousands of farms.  This project has created jobs for more than 100,000 Iraqi men and women.

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...we have restored over three-quarters of pre-war telephone services and over two-thirds of the potable water production.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... there are 4,900 full-service connections.  We expect 50,000 by January first.

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the wheels of commerce are turning.  From bicycles to satellite dishes to cars and trucks, businesses are coming to life in all major cities and towns.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...95 percent of all pre-war bank customers have service and first-time customers are opening accounts daily.

Since  President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... Iraqi banks are making loans to finance businesses.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the central bank is fully independent.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... Iraq has one of the world’s most growth-oriented investment and banking laws.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... Iraq (has) a single, unified currency for the first time in 15 years.

Since  President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...satellite dishes are legal.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...foreign journalists aren't  on 10-day visas paying mandatory and extortionate fees to the Ministry of Information for “minders” and other government spies. 

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... there is no Ministry of Information.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...there are more than 170 newspapers.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... you can buy satellite dishes on what seems like every street corner.

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... foreign journalists and everyone else are free to come and go.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...a nation that  had not one single element—legislative, judicial or executive-- of a representative government, does.

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...in Baghdad alone residents have selected 88 advisory councils.  Baghdad’s first democratic transfer of power in 35 years happened when the city council elected its new chairman.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...today in Iraq chambers of commerce, business, school and professional organizations are electing their leaders all over the country.

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... 25 ministers, selected by the most representative governing body in Iraq’s history, run the day-to-day business of government.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the Iraqi government regularly participates in international events.  Since July the Iraqi government has been represented in over two dozen international meetings, including those of the UN General Assembly, the Arab League, the World Bank and IMF and, today, the Islamic Conference Summit.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today announced that it is reopening over 30 Iraqi embassies around the world.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...Shia religious festivals that were all but banned, aren't. 

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... for the first time in 35 years, in Karbala thousands of Shiites celebrate the pilgrimage of the 12^th Imam.

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the Coalition has completed over 13,000 reconstruction projects, large and small, as part of (a) strategic plan for the reconstruction of Iraq.

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...Uday and Queasy are dead - and no longer feeding innocent Iraqis to his zoo lions, raping the young daughters of local leaders to force cooperation, torturing Iraq's soccer players for losing games...murdering critics.

 

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...children aren't  imprisoned or murdered when their parents disagree with the government.

 

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...political opponents aren't imprisoned, tortured, executed, maimed, or are forced to watch their families die for disagreeing with Saddam.

 

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...millions of longsuffering Iraqis no longer live in perpetual terror.

 

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...Saudis will hold municipal elections.*

 

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... Qatar is reforming education to give more choices to parents.*

 

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... Jordan is accelerating market economic reforms.*

 

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for the first time to an Iranian -- a Muslim woman who speaks out with courage for human rights, for democracy and for peace.* 

 

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...he has not faltered or failed.

 

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...Saddam is gone.

 

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... Iraq is free.

---

[MEG33]

O,boxerblues,you are one tough cookie!

[boxerblues]

I admit I passed it on and posted it to several other message boards. Its great ammo to combat the lefties.

Keep up the good work, just remember us wee folks who helped you on your way to a great writing career

[boxerblues]

So what do the Iraqis do for comic relief now that Baghdad Bob is off the air?

Watch the Baghdad Hag Hillary on CNN

[MEG33]

#17 My response to the carrier mocking,last night.

[boxerblues]

Me a tough cookie?? Naw its a good thing he couldnt see the tears in my eyes when I first saw him, he's still my baby

[mystery-ak]

LOL...that reminds me of every mother when first handed her baby in the hospital...first thing she does is unwrap the baby and counts all the fingers and toes....

[MEG33]

Lump in throat...I know.

[InvisibleChurch]

looks like Iraq is ahead of where arkansas was when xxxlinton was statenfuehrer

[boxerblues]

Counts everything 2 or 3 times to make sure she did miss any lmao

[MEG33]

LOL!

[Teacher317]

Nice

[maica]

This was on the Daily Dose thread but it is to moving to have it languish there

++++


To: All

. . . I greatly enjoyed the following article from Jack Kelly:


Doing the right thing is often the shrewdest political move

http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | Doing the right thing is often the shrewdest political move. President Bush got an uproarious welcome from 600 surprised soldiers assembled for Thanksgiving dinner in the mess tent at Baghdad International Airport.

"For two hours, the president walked among us, not a receiving line where we came to him, stiff and formal, but coming to us, reading our name tags on our uniforms and greeting us by name," a soldier who was there said in an email to Andrew Sullivan.

"He looked me in the eye when he shook my hand, he joked with some, whispered to others, spoke a little Spanish to my friend. Two hours of almost non-stop motion, how exhausting after a 12-hour flight. He did it to be with us, and we appreciate it."

Soldiers who didn't get to see the president also were appreciative. Reuters correspondent Dean Yates interviewed Sgts. Aaron Hildernbrandt and Gilbert Nail in Tikrit.

"I think that shows real personal courage," said Nail. "It's a total morale booster."

"That is absolutely awesome," said Hildernbrandt.

"This is definitely a good move for morale," said Pvt. Michael Debratta at a checkpoint in downtown Baghdad. "It makes us feel better that our leader was actually here on a holiday."

CPT Roger Mayrulet said the president's visit was even more of a boost to Iraqi morale.

"I had Iraqis wishing me 'Happy Thanksgiving' all day today," Mayrulet said in an email to National Review Online. "They only learned of the holiday by finding out the reason why Bush came to visit us."

"I went to a nearby restaurant to buy dinner and IMN was displaying Bush's speech to his troops," recounted Zeyad, an Iraqi web logger. "Everyone stopped eating and stared at the tv...I'm still shocked to this moment that he took the risk to come here. I used to like him before, but now I admire the guy."

Admiration is too mild a word to describe the response of Alaa, a middle aged Iraqi engineer who writes the web log "The Mesopotamian:"

"We know that you have come, not as the president of an invading nation, but as a friend who wishes to renew a commitment to our people...It gives us pain that the visit is so short and that the masses cannot in the present circumstances come out and give you the welcome you deserve, but the day will come when the millions will come out to welcome the best friend that the Mesopotamian people have ever had, and we will be among the most devoted and allied people that America will ever have.

"The bones in the mass graves salute you, Avenger of the Bones. Hail, friend and ally. Hail, Sheikh of Sheikhs."

"I am very proud for the great, great visit of Mr. President to Iraq," said a woman from Mosul in an email to NRO. "The reaction from Iraqi people is very very great. They feel it is good support and insure American are going to stay until the job is done."

There was carping from the usual suspects. European and Arab newspapers and some Democratic party spokesmen described the trip as a publicity stunt. The French newspaper Liberation implied it had been done to draw attention away from Sen. Hillary Clinton's trip to Afghanistan and Iraq.

I would not have wanted to be within lamp-hurling range of Hillary when she received word of the President's trip. The contrast between the riotous reception he got and the tepid welcome she received is not the sort of thing Democrats would want to put in a campaign highlight reel.

At Thanksgiving dinner in Afghanistan, the soldiers were more interested in the turkey than in their distinguished visitor, according to Geraldo Rivera of Fox News. The response at lunch the next day in Baghdad was more restrained still:

"(Hillary) seemed disappointed at the cool reception she got at the CPA mess hall for lunch," said the web logger "John Galt," who was there. Most just stared silently. A few left."

The carping about Bush's trip diminishes Bush's critics, not the president. Democrats talk about leadership. Bush provides it. American soldiers - and most Iraqis - know the difference.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1203/jkelly.html

95 posted on 12/02/2003 10:25 PM EST by DrDeb

[eyespysomething]

I know I passed it along. But I did give you credit.

I really appreciate the work you do R.C.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[blackie]

Thanks to everyone who passes on the successes of the troops to the outside world ~ Bump!

Since May 1st. . . . ~ Bump!

[blackie]

FYI ~ Bump!

[Valin]

Bump and bookmark.

[VOA]

This list has appeared in numerous venues

Probably handed out at the "Hate Bush" meeting at the Beverly Hilton as a
"talking points" on why people should hate Dubya.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Just remember the wee folks...

Lol, FR is a group effort, for sure!

As Pegita would say, all glory be to God. I'm more of a newbie ~ but know for sure I'd be zotted from on High for putting myself before the troops, ever, lol.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Ping your #17! I'm still enjoying Thanksgiving leftovers. (^: