Posted on 09/13/2005 7:19:06 PM PDT by Lando Lincoln
The excellent Gateway Pundit has updates on the successful--in fact, utterly one-sided--Tal Afar battle, as well as President Talabani's visit to the White House today. President Talabani said:
In the name of Iraqi people, I say to you, Mr. President, and to the glorious American people, thank you, thank you. Thank you, because you liberated us from the worst kind of dictatorship. Our people suffered too much from this worst kind of dictatorship... Thank you, and thanks to the United States, there are now 15 million Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq liberated by your courageous leadership and decision to liberate us, Mr. President.
We agree with Mr. President Bush that democracy is the solution to the problems of the Middle East. Mr. President, you are a visionary, great statesman. We salute you. We are grateful to you. We will never forget what you have done for our people.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, sir.
PRESIDENT TALABANI: We have had a good discussion with Mr. President. We are partners. We are proud to say openly and to repeat it that we are partners of the United States of America in fighting against tyranny, terrorism, and for democracy. It is something we are not shy to say and will repeat it everywhere, here and in Iraq, and the United Nations and everywhere.
Iraq is America's ally in the war against terrorism. Our soldiers are now fighting side-by-side with your brave soldiers, now and every day. We have captured many senior elements of al Qaeda. We killed many of them, and we have also many of them in our prisons.
The only problem, Mr. President, is that no matter how proud you may be to repeat your thanks to the United States and proclaim your country's partnership with us, the American people will never hear about it--not if they rely on the mainstream media, anyway.
Meanwhile, it's back to school time here in the U.S., and in Iraq as well. Our friend Haider Ajina has translated a headline and article from the September 13 edition of the Iraqi Arab newspaper Alrafidayn:
Iraqi Schools start without Saddams picture and Baathist Ideology
Iraqi children have returned to a new school year to find their curriculum containing every thing except Saddam Hussein. After two years of negotiations the education ministry finalized new Iraqi school curriculum to replace the Baathist vision of history.
Examples are that history books no longer call Iraq the victor in the Iran Iraq war. Nor do the books call for fighting the Zionist enemy. Nor do elementary school children learn how to read by reading sentences that read, I love Saddam Hussein.
Perfection? No. Progress? Yes. Haider writes:
Over the last two months, I have noticed a substantially more up beat mood in Iraqi newspaper, radio, TV news and commentary as well as from speaking to my family in Iraq. I sense an enthusiasm in their voices. An enthusiasm about the future, an enthusiasm you hear from people who have a stake in their future and feel that they have some control over how to shape it.
Sunni mosques & political leaders are calling on their followers to get out and register to vote. They tell their followers that it is their religious duty and their duty as loyal Iraqis to register and vote. This is a far cry from what these same mosques told Sunnis to do for the January election. Then they discouraged them from voting and called voting unislamic.
Shiite mosques and political leaders do not have to work as hard and they are reminding their followers to be sure to vote. Women specially have a lot at stake. Womens organizations are working overtime, to educate Iraqi women about the proposed constitution and their rights.
It is very heartening and encouraging, especially when I remember that only 30 months ago my family could not speak freely for fear for their lives and had little hope in their voices.
Once again, a thank you to this great country of ours from the Ajinas in Iraq and us in Mckinleyville for bringing hope, freedom and optimism to Iraq, a land which desperately needed it.
No doubt all of this will appear in the New York Times tomorrow.

Lando
Front Page! Above the fold! Not..
I won't look for this story in the LA Times tomorrow, I sure they're too busy trashing Arnold and Bush to notice.
btt
If you own any stock at all, write to the Chairman of the Board and mention it to them. They're wasting the stockholder's money by supporting a MSM that is so out of touch with America.
PRESIDENT TALABANI is a figure head. The real power is the Prime Sinister.
....Iraq's Prime Minister is Ibrahim al-Jaafari....
He is a Shiite and was previously one of the two vice-presidents of Iraq under the Iraqi Interim Government in 2004, and the main spokesman for the Islamic Dawa Party in Iraq
....... which is closely politically aligned with the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI)
......... a radical group that enjoys a close relationship with Iran's revolutionary Mullah regime.
Asked if his government would institute Islamic Shari'a law, al-Jaafari replied: "Yes
that is only natural in a country that is populated mainly by Muslims."
"This is a new chapter in relations with Iraq," enthused Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref during al-Jaafari's visit. Agha Panayi, an Iranian intelligence official, has offered a similarly enthusiastic assessment: "Throughout Iraq, the people we supported are in power."
"Iraqi Schools start without Saddams picture and Baathist Ideology"
Oh yeah! Good news indeed from Iraq and for moi for being reinstated by Jim Robinson. Thank you Jim.
For those of you who haven't been here too long, be it known that Jim has a big heart. I can attest to that. I come a long, long way on FR.
Be it known that from now on and into pertetuity, I promise to comport myself.
Enough with my rant. Cant' help it. I'm euphoric. Yeahhh!!
"No doubt all of this will appear in the New York Times tomorrow."
LOL!
Dream on!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.