'Bush Good, Saddam Bad!'

AL HILLAH, Iraq--There's more to America than New York, Washington and Los Angeles. The same is true for Iraq; there's a vast country outside Baghdad and the "Sunni triangle" that's now the center of a guerrilla campaign. It's understandable that Western press reports are fixated on attacks that kill American soldiers. But that focus is obscuring what's actually happening in the rest of the country--and it misleads the public into thinking that Iraqis are growing angry and impatient with their liberators.

Thanks so much for posting this, Pokey! I've emailed FOXnews and asked if they would consider sending a camera crew to ANY area of Iraq where we're doing well in the reconstructive efforts.

I was thinking the same thing myself. Whatever happened to the whole story? I realize that press people gravitate toward negative drama, but this is tiresome.

I think it's too messy and dangerous for the UN and the press, Amnesty Int'l, Doctors w/out Borders and the Red Cross inside Iraq - oh, and Dem politicians / socialists. For their own safety, they should remain outside the border until the troops and the Iraqi people find and remove the bad guys, the WMDs - and get settled.

As much as it pains me, I need to disagree.

What has infuriated me about the NGOs is this expectation, or perceived right, to safety while performing a charitable or humanitarian mission. BS! Crime and violence exists where charity and humanitarian relief is most needed.

To me there are three types of caregivers:

1. Those that demand others defend them - then they must either applaud or at least remain silent concerning the violence and ugliness that security requires.

2. Those that are willing to defend themselves - they are less hypocritical.

3. Those that want to ameliorate the needs of the world, without resorting to violence to defend themselves - they need to do it with the courage of a martyr.

These are volunteers, no different than our military volunteers. They have answered a calling. We should expect these caregivers to go into places that are not secure. We should mourn their deaths and proclaim their heroism. Otherwise we should call them cowards, hypocrites and charlatans.

Having met and operated alongside some of these exceptional folks, I have a very high expectation based on a standard set by their predecessors.

I was spoofing - kind of. Our troops don't have a voice. Instead we hear from those around the world who lecture us, lie about the work on the ground, refuse to risk their own careers, troops, $$$, those who are working to weaken America on the world stage who then lift up the UN as the international moral authority - after OUR troops and OUR $$$ are doing what they couldn't and wouldn't. "Put some ice on it," says Kofi, Clinton, Chirac, Red Cross....

Just once it would be nice to hear the Red Cross acknowledge that our troops - not just the POWs - are staying in those 120 degree tents.

As for the press - if we kicked them out of Iraq, the Iraqis and the troops would soon have most of the 'mess' cleaned up, imho.

Done.

Pinged already: a couple of good editorials - ammo for the naysayers - and one 'oldie', but important reminder of why our troops are serving in Iraq:

8 'COWARDS' HURTING THEIR CAUSE: KERIK - New York Post ^| 8/20/03 | Al Guart
"This is their last-ditch attempt to drive us out of here, and it's not going to work." - Bernard Kerik

8 TERRORIST DESPAIR [dead-enders = losers]- New York Post | 8/20/03 | RALPH PETERS

8 A note of thanks to those who serve [9-11 widow in Iraq - moving!] 6/30/2003 | Christy Ferer

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