Just received this from a Marine friend and thought I would share it with you all. This is the sort of stuff that the everyday American wont get from their local news story.
From the Commanding Officer at MWSS-171 to his Marines.
-----Original Message----- From: Seitz LtCol Scot S Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 8:40 AM To: 1MAW MWSS171 All Personnel Cc: Fenstermacher Col Stephen M; Kirkpatrick LtCol Stephen F; Chase LtCol Eric T Subject: ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Marines and Sailors,
As we approach the end of the year I think it is important to share a few thoughts about what you've accomplished directly, in some cases, and indirectly in many others. I am speaking about what the Bush Administration and each of you has contributed by wearing the uniform, because the fact that you wear the uniform contributes 100% to the capability of the nation to send a few onto the field to execute national policy. As you read about these achievements you are a part of , I would call your attention to two things:
1. This is good news that hasn't been fit to print or report on TV. 2. It is much easier to point out the errors a man makes when he makes the tough decisions, rarely is the positive as aggressively pursued.
Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...
... 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.
... the Iraqi judiciary is fully independent.
... on Monday, October 6 power generation hit 4,518 megawatts-exceeding the prewar average.
... all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools.
... by October 1, Coalition forces had rehab-ed over 1,500 schools - 500 more than scheduled.
... teachers earn from 12 to 25 times their former salaries.
... all 240 hospitals and more than 1200 clinics are open.
... doctors salaries are at least eight times what they were under Saddam.
... pharmaceutical distribution has gone from essentially nothing to 700 tons in May to a current total of 12,000 tons.
... the Coalition has helped administer over 22 million vaccinations to Iraq's children.
... a Coalition program has cleared over 14,000 kilometers of Iraq's 27,000 kilometers of weed-choked canals which now irrigate tens of thousands of farms. This project has created jobs for more than 100,000 Iraqi men and women.
... we have restored over three-quarters of prewar telephone services and over two-thirds of the potable water production.
... there are 4,900 full-service telephone connections. We expect 50,000 by year-end.
... the wheels of commerce are turning. From bicycles to satellite dishes to cars and trucks, businesses are coming to life in all major cities and towns.
... 95 percent of all prewar bank customers have service and first-time customers are opening accounts daily.
... Iraqi banks are making loans to finance businesses.
... the central bank is fully independent.
... Iraq has one of the worlds most growth-oriented investment and banking laws.
... Iraq has a single, unified currency for the first time in 15 years.
... satellite TV dishes are legal.
... foreign journalists aren't on 10-day visas paying mandatory and extortionate fees to the Ministry of Information for "minders" and other government spies.
... there is no Ministry of Information.
... there are more than 170 newspapers.
... you can buy satellite dishes on what seems like every street corner.
... foreign journalists (and everyone else) are free to come and go.
... a nation that had not one single element - legislative, judicial or executive - of a representative government, now does.
... in Baghdad alone residents have selected 88 advisory councils. Baghdad's first democratic transfer of power in 35 years happened when the city council elected its new chairman.
... today in Iraq chambers of commerce, business, school and professional organizations are electing their leaders all over the country.
... 25 ministers, selected by the most representative governing body in Iraq's history, run the day-to-day business of government.
... the Iraqi government regularly participates in international events. Since July the Iraqi government has been represented in over two dozen international meetings, including those of the UN General Assembly, the Arab League, the World Bank and IMF and, today, the Islamic Conference Summit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today announced that it is reopening over 30 Iraqi embassies around the world.
... Shia religious festivals that were all but banned, aren't.
... for the first time in 35 years, in Karbala thousands of Shiites celebrate the pilgrimage of the 12th Imam.
... the Coalition has completed over 13,000 reconstruction projects, large and small, as part of a strategic plan for the reconstruction of Iraq.
... Uday and Queasy are dead - and no longer feeding innocent Iraqis to the zoo lions, raping the young daughters of local leaders to force cooperation, torturing Iraq's soccer players for losing games, or murdering critics.
... children aren't imprisoned or murdered when their parents disagree with the government.
... political opponents aren't imprisoned, tortured, executed, maimed, or are forced to watch their families die for disagreeing with Saddam.
... millions of longsuffering Iraqis no longer live in perpetual terror.
... Saudis will hold municipal elections.
... Qatar is reforming education to give more choices to parents.
... Jordan is accelerating market economic reforms.
... the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for the first time to an Iranian -- a Muslim woman who speaks out with courage for human rights, for democracy and for peace.
... Saddam is gone.
... Iraq is free.
... President Bush has not faltered or failed.
... Yet, little or none of this information has been published by the Press corps that prides itself on bringing you all the news that's important.
Iraq under US lead control has come further in six months than Germany did in seven years or Japan did in nine years following WWII. Military deaths from fanatic Nazi's, and Japanese numbered in the thousands and continued for over three years after WWII victory was declared.
It took the US over four months to clear away the twin tower debris, let alone attempt to build something else in its place.
Now, take into account that Congress fought President Bush on every aspect of his handling of this country's war and the post-war reconstruction; and that they continue to claim on a daily basis on national TV that this conflict has been a failure.
Taking everything into consideration, even the unfortunate loss of our brothers and sisters in this conflict, do you think anyone else in the world could have accomplished as much as the United States and the Bush administration in so short a period of time?
These are things worth writing about. Get the word out. Write to someone you think may be able to influence our Congress or the press to tell the story.
Above all, be proud that you are a part of this historical precedent.
God Bless you all. Have a great Holiday.
Semper Fidelis,
CO
Posted by TimeLord (Member # 1389) on :
Sounds more life a campaign speech than a Military observation!!!!!!
Origins: This item appears to have originated with a Coalition Provisional Authority briefing given by L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. Presidential Envoy to Iraq (the highest-ranking U.S. civilian official in Iraq) on 9 October 2003. Some of the accomplishments cited in this piece were echoed in an 8 December 2003 Forbes magazine article by Caspar W. Weinberger, who served as Secretary of Defense during the Reagan administration.
An Iraqi citizen whose response to this piece was published on the Voices in the Wilderness web site maintains that some of the information presented is true, but much of it is inaccurate or misleading.
Last updated: 10 January 2004
[ 20. January 2004, 08:43 PM: Message edited by: TimeLord ]
Posted by Hawkeye (Member # 88) on :
That won't sell newspapers, but it sure makes one feel that finally some sense of "normalcy" can return to Iraq and the people will be free to live life with basic human freedoms.
Thanks for the post.
Posted by RagSS (Member # 1127) on :
...Thanks for the post Patrick. It's good to hear the other side of the story...
God Bless... Kevin
Posted by DanPazich (Member # 1352) on :
Great post! It's sad of how our 'meadi system' works here in the United States. They thrive on the negitive, and pass up on the positive in society adn around the world. So it's very hard to get the positive news to the masses if the regular news wont cover them. Talked a lot about that in marketing and political science class. It's great to finally hear of some of this! Posted by Fbodfather (Member # 1119) on :
For what it's worth, I had a very long and interesting conversation with a Marine on a flight one night a few weeks back....interestingly, he had very similar views and in fact pulled out a sand-filled computer and showed me pictures of the 'stuff' they're finding every day in Iraq.
I'm appalled that the press doesn't seem to know any of this....moreover, I don't have a lot of faith in many of our congressional members or our senate......
I guess I don't like them telling me how to live my life, when there are two sets of rules.....
That's MY opinion, not necessarily that of the company I work for.......
Posted by HTWLSS (Member # 117) on :
quote:Originally posted by Fbodfather: That's MY opinion, not necessarily that of the company I work for.......
This needs to get added into your forum signature. Posted by FireChicken (Member # 2067) on :
quote:Originally posted by Hawkeye: That won't sell newspapers, but it sure makes one feel that finally some sense of "normalcy" can return to Iraq and the people will be free to live life with basic human freedoms.
Thanks for the post.
Good things dont make good news.Its a shame, but bad stuff seems to make high ratings.
Posted by 380SS (Member # 2078) on :
quote:Originally posted by TimeLord: Sounds more life a campaign speech than a Military observation!!!!!!
Origins: This item appears to have originated with a Coalition Provisional Authority briefing given by L. Paul Bremer. Some of the accomplishments cited in this piece were echoed in an 8 December 2003 Forbes magazine article by Caspar W. Weinberger.
Last updated: 10 January 2004
Militarily speaking this was not a "campaign speech" (Paul Bremer is not running for any political office that I'm aware of). Facts derived from this speech were collected from "boots on the ground". Paul Bremer does not travel around Iraq penciling notes in his note pad on accomplishments with-in Iraq. He's in the political chain of command that receives information through military channels. Trust me, if he briefed it, it was briefed first by the military. Enough said on that.
I strongly agree with FireChicken... I've been searching for good news on Iraq since my "mis-hap", it just isn't there. Great posts by all, keep the faith.
Chief
Posted by agmSS (Member # 853) on :
One of my greatest frustrations about this war and the events after the end of major combat operations has been the consistent focus of the press on the negative. I've always believed in my heart that we haven't been hearing the whole story. It's really refreshing to hear about what's been accomplished with our involvement in Iraq. The Iraqi people are much better off now than they have ever been in a long, long time.
Clearly, to me anyway, our national media has their own agenda and presenting a fair and balanced account is not on the to-do list. The press, as an industry, carries itself with an aura of elitism and self-importance. All we heard on CNN (Clinton News Network) was about the "embeds". You got a few seconds of story and then a diatribe about "embeds". When Geraldo gave away tactical information on television to make himself look good, he should have been brought up on charges and thrown in jail. It would have given him some extra time to reflect on how much his ego put at risk the lives of the soldiers he was traveling with.
If the sad day ever comes that our freedoms of speech and the press come under scrutiny, I remain convinced it will be prinicipally due to the reckless and irresponsible behavior of our national news organizations. If the story involves anything bigger than the weekly lottery numbers, the best thing anyone can do is take what they hear in the news with a grain of salt. You sure can't rely on them to tell the whole story.
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