Claim: Messages chronicle U.S. accomplishments in rebuilding Iraq since the end of major combat.
Status: Undetermined.
What follows is a listing of the sorts of things that Cal, et al, have reported as successes in Iraq. (Similar lists have been circulated for Afghanistan.)
"Snopes'" reply is to dither around about the source of the statements and includes: "There is a valid point underlying the theme of these messages, that the media tends to report (and the public tends to follow) stories having to do with disaster, tragedy and misfortune far more than stories about good deeds and good works."
Then comes the "but" which includes the obligatory: ""Reporters don't report buildings that don't burn.")"
Their only "rebuttal" is by one guy who offers such gems as:
>> Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1st… The first battalion of the new Iraqi Army has graduated and is on active duty. Over 60,000 Iraqis now provide security to their fellow citizens. nearly all of Iraq’s 400 courts are functioning.
But yet, we’ve never felt more insecure.
Blah, blah blah...
or this one:
>> All 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools.
That’s true. But every now and then, a school gets a warning about a bomb, so many parents are afraid to send their kids to schools, and when they do so, they will be deeply worried.
Then there's this one:
>> Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1st… satellite dishes are legal.
Thank God, we needed something to spend our time with because no one dares to leave home after 9 PM.
Baddabing, baddaboom.
The fact is, or facts are, tremendous progress has been made in Iraq and will continue as long as right headed people run this country and, thus, the war effort. Nothing is perfect and to expect so is naive. Any jerk can describe the glass as half empty rather than half full. It in no way "refutes" any of the accomplishments Cal listed.
Our guys have done, are doing and will continue to do the job that no other countries on earth are willing or able to do: Stop the creation of terrorists where they live by helping them to develop a new order.
I, for one, appreciate postings of the good stuff our guys are doing because, other than occasionally on Fox, we never see it.
Chin up Cal, and thanks for the post.
But I repeat, we're making great progress in Iraq, so the concepts represented by this thread are real. The specific numbers I question, until we get confirmation.