I was with Sinise on one of his trips to Iraq and he told me that one of the schools he visited didn't have a floor, windows or a toilet. "It was just a cinder block building with a dirt floor," he said, "but with the help of American troops, the school now has these things."
Though you won't hear it from the mainstream media, the Iraqis, especially the children, are extraordinarily appreciative of American troops. "I've seen the smiling faces of Iraqi kids," Sinise explained, "and they tell the soldiers, 'I love you' in broken English." He continues, "These children and their parents have hope in their eyes and gratitude in their hearts for what was done for them." In fact, in one school the actor visited, a plaque dedicated to the Coalition Forces is displayed on the wall.
Sinise sums it up well: "Every time a book or a box of school supplies is delivered by our troops, it's another small victory for them in helping win the hearts and minds of the Iraqis. Generous Americans are making it possible for a generation of forgotten children to have the tools they need to learn, grow, and pursue futures of limitless possibility. Iraqi classrooms, once barren and squalid, will be joyful, bountiful places of learning. The American soldiers who bring these gifts to them will win the Iraqi people's goodwill, admiration and trust."
What Gary Sinise has helped launch is the ultimate weapon against jihadist terror: an alternative to the radical Islamic message of hatred and death. He's helping to give Muslim children a reason to live instead of a reason to die.--- Link