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I'd measure the honesty of this administration and THIS military against the press and the NGOs and the retired military - the facts are stubborn things.

The press, with their selective reporting, 24/7 negativity - purposely ignoring the daily logs from CENTCOM - the lengthy detailed records of our good works and progress in securing the nation - ignoring the big picture daily, that in a nation of 24 million newly freed Iraqis and over 200,000 Coalition troops - we have NO riots, very few casualties weekly - the numbers don't match the accusations from the press and their anti-American mouthpieces in Iraq - this is not "chaos", this is NOT a nation that doesn't want us.

The press, imho, is guilty of war crimes by not accurately reporting the facts - by just plain lying to the American people, the world - and the Iraqi people now being further terrorized by those who want our efforts to fail.

For every sacrifice our troops make, for every Coalition casualty - we take out far more regime bad guys and terrorist wannabes. Where's the press on that daily story? Or how the Iraqi people in every community are pointing out the weapons' caches and bad guys to US? You think the Iraqi people would just let all that weaponry sit there if they didn't welcome the USA? Do you know how many truckloads we've carted away and mountains we've detonated? Press doesn't report that, either. Our enemies provided the Iraqi people with plenty of weapons to use against us. They CHOSE not to.

Many are attempting to sow fear and anger, and incite uprisings in Iraq today. Some, NGOS, etc., because they profitted by spreading anti-American hate - blaming us for Saddam starving the Iraqi children, some just took Saddam's $$$ and remained silent for years. Most either hate President Bush and/or have much to lose when the world sees that the "evil capitalist military industrial complex" IS the true liberator of the oppressed people. Then, we have the militant Islamists who resent our occupation - mostly from outside of Iraq.

Make no mistake, THIS press has been undermining our efforts from day one. Our enemies know how to use our media - and our media is more than happy to let them.

June 2, 2003
Release Number: 03-06-04

COALITION AND IRAQI POLICE WORK TO MAKE IRAQ SECURE (June 2, 2003)

CAMP DOHA, Kuwait -- Coalition Forces continue to aggressively patrol Iraq to eliminate crimes against people and property, rid populated areas of weapons, ammunition and explosives, and stop the black market trade in fuel and other commodities. Coalition Forces also continue to conduct joint security patrols with Iraqi police in their efforts to increase the professionalism of the police force and prepare them for their role in a self-governed Iraq.

Weapons Turn-In Program:

Iraqi citizens voluntarily turned in a variety of weapons under the Weapons Turn-In Program that began June 1. In Baghdad alone, Iraqi citizens turned in 9 AK-47 rifles, 50 heavy machine gun rounds, 35 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and a variety of small arms ammunition to Coalition Forces. They expect an increase in the number of weapons and munitions the Iraqi people will turn in as they become more confident about the value of the program. The amnesty period of the Weapons Turn-In Program will run through June 14.

Coalition Activity:

Soldiers from the 173d Airborne Brigade raided several sites yesterday in Kirkuk to capture former regime members. They captured the former personal bodyguard of Uday Hussein at one site and captured a total of six other suspected former regime members.

Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) raided a suspected black market for weapons in the Qayyarah market yesterday. They detained 18 people for questioning, and seized 92 blasting caps and 3 rolls of detonation cord.

Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division raided two sites north of Baghdad yesterday. They detained two people for questioning, and seized two AK-47 rifles and several cases of ammunition.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 44th Infantry Regiment raided a site in Tikrit yesterday after they observed tracer fire coming from the same direction. They detained one man for questioning, and confiscated six AK-47 rifles, several hundred light machine-gun rounds and a shotgun.

Members from 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment and U.S. Army military police worked in Al Hillah together and arrested two men yesterday for selling Liquid Petroleum Gas on the black market. They also confiscated several weapons and about 1 million Iraqi Dinar from confessed gun dealers during Al Hillah vehicle checkpoint operations.

Police Activity in the Last 24 Hours:

Coalition Forces conducted 14 raids and a total of 2,363 patrols throughout Iraq. Of those patrols, they conducted 249 joint Iraqi and Coalition patrols. They also detained or arrested 76 individuals for a variety of criminal activity, including looting, curfew violations, weapons violations, theft, larceny and dealing drugs.

Recent Police Activity:

In the last 24 hours of raids and patrolling activity, soldiers from V Corps seized 12 AK-47 rifles, 5 light machine guns, 17 rocket-grenade launchers, 11 pistols and 14 grenades. They turned the weapons into U.S. military collection points for safekeeping or disposal.

Iraqi police and soldiers from the 233d Military Police Company served a larceny warrant on an Iraqi man in Baghdad recently. They took the suspect to the Al Karrada Police Station.

Soldiers from the 204th Military Police Company raided a site in Baghdad recently to capture former regime members. They captured 16 people who were members of the Old National Police Academy Faculty and high-ranking associates in the Ba'ath Party. They took the captured former faculty and regime members to a U.S. military facility for questioning.

Iraqi police and soldiers from the 307th Military Police Company apprehended four suspects while on a joint patrol in Baghdad recently. The suspects fired on them when the patrol attempted to stop the small truck they were driving. The truck occupants attempted to flee the scene, but they disabled the truck when they tried to drive through several strands of concertina wire. The passengers fired at the patrol as they attempted to flee. The patrol members returned fire, chased after the suspects, and finally apprehended them. They searched the truck and confiscated 2 AK-47 rifles and 45 rounds of ammunition. Patrol members took the four suspects to the East Baghdad Jail, and turned the truck and contraband into a U.S. military collection point.

CENTCOM:

June 3, 2003
Release Number: 03-06-06

COALITION EFFORTS AID IRAQ'S RECOVERY (June 3, 2003)

CAMP DOHA, Kuwait – Coalition Forces continue to assist in developing a safer and more secure environment in Iraq through the following activities.

BAGHDAD
Coalition Forces:
• Continued measures to reduce crime, host neighborhood advisory council meetings and provide school and medical supplies.
• Contracted 350-400 Iraqis to begin work at the International Airport, tentatively planning on resuming commercial traffic in the next month.
• Reports the Baghdad City Hall should be fully operational in 2 weeks.
• Recently destroyed 34 tons of captured Iraqi ordnance. A total of 6,319 tons of ammunition from 13 out of 23 cache sites have been consolidated and removed from Baghdad to date.
• Collected soccer balls for distribution as part of “Operation US Soccer,” an American Youth Soccer Organization sponsored program.
• Worked with the Government of Jordan and Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) key officials to increase Iraqi business involvement with the Jordanian American Business Association (JABA) Iraqi Reconstruction Conference. About 400 business and government officials have registered for the conference.
• Provided Coalition military construction support to assess and repair an Iraqi police station, restore municipal facilities at Abu Ghraib, and the Mansour, Thawra, Al Rashid, and Karkh.
• Met with about 500 food distribution agents to prepare for food distribution operations this week.
• Met with USAID representatives to share information on civil affairs capabilities and provide small loans to businesses.
• Distributed 3.4 million liters of gasoline, and 58,940 bottles of propane in Baghdad.

NORTHERN IRAQ

IRBIL / MOSUL / TIKRIT / KIRKUK
Coalition Forces:
• Conducted a Task Force Neighborhood mission in Makhmur, focusing cleanup operations on the local school and market area.
• Continued road-building operations in the Bardiyah area.
• Continued deliveries of potable water to the Sununi area, and hosted a meeting among local water supervisors and Red Cross personnel to determine the long-term water supply needs in the area.
• Replaced unserviceable culverts in Baqubah.
• Plan to fill medical supply shortfalls within 48 hours in Al Biaj.
• Received 22 trucks of bulk food shipments at Ar Ramadi UN Food distribution site, for a total of 525 shipments to date.

SOUTHERN IRAQ

AL KUT
23rd Marine Regiment recently:
• Assisted in efforts renovate a former Iraqi Army water treatment plant that provides filtered and chlorinated water to approximately 5,000 people.

AN NAJAF
7th Marine Regiment recently:
• Reported continued power improvements. The city currently has 100 megawatts of power, 55 from the power grid and 45 from the power plant, more than double their previous power supply.
• Assisted in World Food Program food distribution at two sites.

AL HILLAH
• Received 33 benzene/gasoline trucks.

AS SAMAWAH
• Reported electric power was restored to 60 megawatts, which exceeds pre-war conditions.
• Coordinated with the Ministry of Education in Baghdad for funds to support end of year school tests and test administration.

VOICES OF FREEDOM
Quotes from the grateful Iraqi people. Y

“I cannot describe how I am glad. After so many years of dictatorship, we have chosen our own leader.”
Kemal Kerkuki, after participating in the election of Kirkuk’s new mayor, The New York Times, 5/29/03

“I’m not going to mention his name in class anymore. No more Saddam.”
Naheda Muhammad Nage, an Iraqi schoolteacher, The New York Times, 05/28/03

Survey shows Iraqi people support US Presence
MEMRI ^ | May 28, 2003 | Al-Sharq Al-Awsat via Memri

SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE IRAQI INSTITUTION FOR DEMOCRACY IN BAGHDAD SHOWED THAT MOST IRAQIS SUPPORT CONTINUED AMERICAN PRESENCE UNTIL DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS ARE HELD IN IRAQ. (AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT, LONDON 5/28/03)