I thought I would share with you guys, received today - I dont know if it is true or not but thought Id share

AN EMAIL FROM IRAQ May 2004
>>>
>>> As I head off to Baghdad for the final weeks
>>> of my stay in Iraq, I wanted to say thanks to all of
>>> you who did not believe the media. They have done a
>>> very poor job of covering everything that has
>>> happened. And just so you can rest at night knowing
>>> something is happening in Iraq that is noteworthy, I
>>> thought I would pass this on to you. This is the
>>> list of things that has happened in Iraq recently:
>>> (Please share it with your friends and compare it to
>>> the version that your paper is producing.)
>>>
>>> a.. Over 400,000 kids have up-to-date
>>> immunizations.
>>> b.. School attendance is up 80% from levels
>>> before the war.
>>> c.. Over 1,500 schools have been renovated
>>> and rid of the weapons stored there so education can
>>> occur.
>>> d.. The port of Uhm Qasar was renovated so
>>> grain can be off-loaded from ships faster.
>>> e.. The country had its first 2 billion
>>> barrel export of oil in August.
>>> f.. Over 4.5 million people have clean
>>> drinking water for the first time ever in Iraq.
>>> g.. The country now receives 2 times the
>>> electrical power it did before the war.
>>> h.. 100% of the hospitals are open and fully
>>> staffed, compared to 35% before the war.
>>> i.. Elections are taking place in every
>>> major city, and city councils are in place.
>>> j.. Sewer and water lines are installed in
>>> every major city.
>>> k.. Over 60,000 police are patrolling the
>>> streets.
>>> l.. Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police
>>> are securing the country.
>>> m.. Over 80,000 Iraqi soldiers are
>>> patrolling the streets side by side with US
>>> soldiers.
>>> n.. Over 400,000 people have telephones for
>>> the first time ever.
>>> o.. Students are taught field sanitation and
>>> hand washing techniques to prevent the spread of
>>> germs.
>>> p.. An interim constitution has been signed.
>>>
>>> q.. Girls are allowed to attend school.
>>> r.. Textbooks that don't mention Saddam are
>>> in the schools for the first time in 30 years.
>>> Don't believe for one second that these people
>>> do not want us there. I have met many, many people
>>> from Iraq that want us there, and in a bad way. They
>>> say they will never see the freedoms we talk about
>>> but they hope their children will. We are doing a
>>> good job in Iraq and I challenge anyone, anywhere to
>>> dispute me on these facts.
>>>
>>> If you are like me and very disgusted with how
>>> this period of rebuilding has been portrayed, email
>>> this to a friend and let them know there are good
>>> things happening.
>>>
>>> Ray, SFC
>>> Iowa Army National Guard
>>> 234th Signal Battalion
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
>>> Ray asks that this email be passed along and I
>>> thought I could do him one better by putting it
>>> online for millions to read. Some content was
>>> removed to protect his privacy. >>

I got the same one

Hi Girly!

I received the same email, and from what I have heard it SEEMS like its very true. One of my friends was over there, early on, and already her unit had helped with some of the projects listed (namely the school projects, collection of stored weapons, and area improvement projects ie electricity, water and roadway). And yes, their relationship with the locals was as friendly as it could be, given their language barriers.

It infuriates me people claim all we are doing there is occupying and our sole mission was to collect oil. We may not be perfect, but at least we are trying!

Re: I thought I would share with you guys, received today - I dont know if it is true or not but thought Id share

Don't you think if all of this was true Bush would be pushing it down the nose of the press. I think it may a partial...but that is a lot to achive in little over a year.

Re: I thought I would share with you guys, received today - I dont know if it is true or not but thought Id share

Partially true

Re: I thought I would share with you guys, received today - I dont know if it is true or not but thought Id share

it's not entirely true and quite misleading