U.S. as a Vessel of God�s Goodness

This information is a few months old, but it gives some idea of how U.S. policy is far more beneficial to Iraqis than were the quasi-colonialist policies of France, etc., ond those of their puppet and benefactor, Saddam and his murderous Ba'athist tyranny.

47 countries have re-established their embassies in Iraq.

The current Iraqi government employs 1.2 million Iraqi people.

3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under rehabilitation, 263 schools are now under construction and 38 new schools have been built in Iraq.

Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20 Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers, all currently operating.

25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January 2005 for the re-established Fulbright program.

The Iraqi Navy is operational. They have 5- 100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a navel infantry regiment.

Iraq's Air Force consists of three operational squadrons, which includes 9 reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport aircraft (under Iraqi operational control) which operate day and night, and will soon add 16 UH-1 helicopters and 4 Bell Jet Rangers.

Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a Commando Battalion.

The Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers.

There are 5 Police Academies in Iraq that produce over 3500 new officers each 8 weeks.

There are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq. They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad stations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical facilities.

96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received the first 2 series of polio vaccinations.

43 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school by mid October.

There are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and phone use has gone up 158%.

Iraq has an independent media that consist of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations.

The Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004.

2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a televised debate.

For yet another perspective, I offer these words, written by an American soldier. I do not share all his views, but agree with the general thrust:

This "Letter of Apology" was written by Lieutenant General Chuck  Pitman, US

Marine Corps, Retired:

"For good and ill, the Iraqi  prisoner abuse mess will remain an issue. On
the one hand, right thinking  Americans will abhor the stupidity of the
actions while on the other hand,  political glee will take control and fashion this
minor event into some modern  day massacre.

I humbly offer my opinion here:

I am sorry that the  last seven times we Americans took up arms and
sacrificed the blood of our  youth, it was in the defense of Muslims
(Bosnia, Kosovo, Gulf War 1, Kuwait,  etc.).

I am sorry that no such call for an apology upon the extremists  came after
9/11.

I am sorry that all of the murderers on 9/11 were  Islamic Arabs.

I am sorry that most Arabs and Muslims have to live in  squalor under savage

dictatorships.

I am sorry that their leaders  squander their wealth.

I am sorry that their governments breed hate for  the US in their religious
schools, mosques, and government-controlled  media.

I am sorry that Yassar Arafat was kicked out of every Arab country  and
high-jacked the Palestinian "cause."

I am sorry that no other Arab  country will take in or offer more than a
token amount of financial help to  those same Palestinians.

I am sorry that the USA has to step in and be  the biggest financial
supporter of poverty stricken Arabs while the insanely  wealthy Arabs blame
the USA for all their problems.

I am sorry that our  own left wing, our media, and our own brainwashed
masses do not understand any  of this (from the misleading vocal elements of our
society like radical  professors, CNN and the NY TIMES).

I am sorry the United Nations scammed  the poor people of Iraq out of the
"food for oil" money so they could get rich  while the common folk suffered.

I am sorry that some Arab governments pay  the families of homicide bombers
upon their death.

I am sorry that those  same bombers are brainwashed thinking they will
receive 72 virgins in  "paradise."

I am sorry that the homicide bombers think pregnant women,  babies,
children, the elderly and other noncombatant civilians are legitimate  targets.

I am sorry that our troops die to free more Arabs from the gang  rape rooms
and the filling of mass graves of dissidents of their own  making.

I am sorry that Muslim extremists have killed more Arabs than any  other
group.

I am sorry that foreign trained terrorists are trying to  seize control of
Iraq and return it to a terrorist state.

I am sorry every time  terrorists hide they find a convenient "Holy Site."

I am sorry they  didn't apologize for driving a jet into the World Trade
Center that collapsed  and severely damaged Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox
Church - one of our Holy  Sites.

I am sorry they didn't apologize for flight 93 and 175, the USS  Cole, the
embassy bombings, the murders and beheadings of Nick Berg and Daniel  Pearl,
etc....etc!

I am sorry Michael Moore is American; he could feed a  medium sized village
in Africa.

America will get past this latest  absurdity. We will punish those
responsible because that is what we  do.

We hang out our dirty laundry for the entire world to see. We move  on.
That's one of the reasons we are hated so much. We don't hide this stuff
like all those Arab countries that are now demanding an apology.

Deep  down inside, when most Americans saw this reported in the news, we
were like -  so what? We lost hundreds and made fun of a few prisoners. Sure, it
was wrong,  sure, it dramatically hurts our cause, but until captured we
were trying to kill  these same prisoners. Now we're supposed to wring our hands
because a few were  humiliated?

Our compassion is tempered with the vivid memories of our own  people
killed, mutilated and burnt amongst a joyous crowd of celebrating  Fallujahans.

If you want an apology from this American, you're going to  have a long
wait!

You have a better chance of finding those seventy-two  virgins.

Chuck Pitman Lieutenant General, USMC (Ret)

The UN distinguishes between two sorts of Security Council resolution. Those passed under Chapter Six deal with the peaceful resolution of disputes and entitle the council to make non-binding recommendations. Those under Chapter Seven give the council broad powers to take action, including warlike action, to deal with �threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, or acts of aggression�. Such resolutions, binding on all UN members, were rare during the cold war. But they were used against Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait. None of the resolutions relating to the Israeli-Arab conflict comes under Chapter Seven. By imposing sanctions�including military ones�against Iraq but not against Israel, the UN is merely acting in accordance with its own rules.

The distinctiveness of Chapter Seven resolutions, and the fact that none has been passed in relation to Israel, is acknowledged by Palestinian diplomats. It is, indeed, one of their main complaints. A Palestine Liberation Organisation report, entitled �Double Standards� and published at the end of September, pointed out that, over the years, the UN has upheld the Palestinians' right to statehood, condemned Israel's settlements and called for Israel to withdraw. But �no enforcement action or any other action to implement UN resolutions and international law has been ordered by the Security Council.�

...

In the case of Iraq, the Security Council has instructed Mr Hussein to take various unilateral actions that he is perfectly capable of taking. Resolution 242 cannot be implemented unilaterally, even if Israel wanted to do so.