Step by Step A roundup of the past three weeks' good news from Iraq. (long piece)

Opinion Journal ^ | 6/13/05 | ARTHUR CHRENKOFF

[Valin]

"You can't fix in six months what it took 35 years to destroy."
These words, spoken by Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Iraq's first democratically elected Prime Minister in half a century, should be inscribed in 3-foot-tall characters as a preface to all the reporting from Iraq. Sadly, the underlying reality all too often seems to escape many reporters caught in the excitement of "now."

Writing in the Christian Science Monitor, A. Heather Coyne concurs with the gradualist view:

Having spent the past two years in Iraq, first as an Army officer and now as the head of the Iraq office of the Washington-based US Institute of Peace, I am struck by the determination and steadiness of Iraqis as they struggle to build a stable, democratic country, and by the continuing, firm commitment of Iraqis to participate in--and manage--that process.
In spite of a constant threat from the various insurgencies over the past year, Iraqi government agencies, political parties, and civil society organizations have gradually expanded their capabilities and activities. They will tell you how much more they could have done had they not been constrained by security threats or--almost as important--the lack of reliable infrastructure, but what they have accomplished already is admirable, as is their unflagging determination in the face of these threats and constraints.

There is a phrase I hear in almost every conversation with Iraqis that captures the mood of this process: hutwa bi hutwa, or "step by step."

Below, some of those often overlooked or underreported steps that people of Iraq and their foreign friends have been taking over the past three weeks:

[Calpernia]

Having spent the past two years in Iraq, first as an Army officer and now as the head of the Iraq office of the Washington-based US Institute of Peace, I am struck by the determination and steadiness of Iraqis as they struggle to build a stable, democratic country, and by the continuing, firm commitment of Iraqis to participate in--and manage--that process.

In spite of a constant threat from the various insurgencies over the past year, Iraqi government agencies, political parties, and civil society organizations have gradually expanded their capabilities and activities. They will tell you how much more they could have done had they not been constrained by security threats or--almost as important--the lack of reliable infrastructure, but what they have accomplished already is admirable, as is their unflagging determination in the face of these threats and constraints.

[Valin]

Goooood Morning!

[baltoga]

Excellent quote. Reading this article is truly astounding.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[blackie]

Good News ~ Bump!

[blackie]

Excellent article ~ it shows there is more going in Iraq beside islamofascist terrorists blowing themselves up.

Be Ever Vigilant!

[johnb838]

people are dying every day, priest.

[Calpernia]

GOOOOOD Afternoon ^-^

[ChadGore]

Bump: Every FReeper should read this !

[fedupjohn]

Bump... Great article

Printing as I type for my Liberal friend.

Great Job.

[Marine_Uncle]

Great package of articles Valin. Thanks. I decided this time around to download each of the hyperlinked articles to my hard drive sub directory, modify the URL links in main article to look on my hard disk,etc.. To much meaningful sequencial info to have go by the wayside.