A Hundred Days of Progress

[oracle]

A Hundred Days of Progress

by Steven Martinovich
Published 8/14/2003 12:08:00 AM

It's ironic that at about the same time the peace movement -- which apparently still hasn't heard that the coalition was victorious in Iraq -- launched a new round of protests in the United States over the war the Bush administration released a 25-page report, largely ignored by the media, documenting its successes over the past few months. The peaceniks' renewed claims about the illegitimacy of the war were answered before the paint was dry on their new "No Blood for Oil" signs.

Entitled "100 Days of Progress in Iraq," the administration's report lays out a hundred positive developments in Iraq since the fall of the Hussein régime. Among the achievements are signs of cultural rebirth, improvements in the lives of women (although the administration surprisingly doesn't mention the end of the Hussein rape gangs), democratic reforms, internal security and economic renewal, among others.

The section labeled "10 Ways the Liberation of Iraq Supports the War on Terror" may be the most important, at least from the perspective of Western security, especially since terrorism was one of the primary reasons why the U.S. led coalition went to war. Contrary to what critics of the war claimed, Iraq earned its reputation as one of the U.S. State Department's seven state sponsors of terrorism. Its links with terrorist movements, suspected before the war, have been fully exposed.

As the report shows, the link between al-Qaeda and Iraq was more than just mere speculation. A senior member of the terrorist group admitted that al-Qaeda was intent on obtaining weapons of mass destruction from Iraq. Osama bin Laden, said one high-level al-Qaeda source, "did not believe that al-Qaeda labs in Afghanistan were capable of manufacturing chemical and biological weapons, so they turned to Iraq for assistance." In a gesture of anti-American solidarity, Iraq agreed to train two al-Qaeda members in biological and chemical weapons.

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[Warlady]

This article needs to be posted in its entirety in the Hall of Fame. We need to seek permission. Crow have you read this? yoohoo oh Crow? You there?

[Warlady]

I just emailed them asking for permission.

[oracle]

The report he refers to can be found at Operation Iraqi Freedom - A White House Special Report


Results in Iraq: 100 Days Toward Security and Freedom

Introduction
August 8, 2003, marks the hundredth day since the end of major combat operations in Iraq. Results in Iraq: 100 Days Toward Security and Freedom presents highlights of the successes shared by post-Saddam Iraqis and their partners in the renewal of their nation. Under the leadership of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and the new Iraqi Governing Council, major strides are being planned and made in three key areas: security, economic stability and growth, and democracy. As this report is issued, the CPA is working with Iraqis to implement a strategic plan with measurable goals. Outside observers and coalition leaders agree that much remains to be done to restore order and bring prosperity to a brutalized society and an infrastructure suffering from decades of malign neglect. The steps toward sovereignty and democracy will be difficult and require patience and time. Substantial progress is being made on all fronts. As President Bush said last week, the "success of a free Iraq will ... demonstrate to other countries in that region that national prosperity and dignity are found in representative government and free institutions.... As freedom advances in the Middle East, those societies will be less likely to produce ideologies of hatred and produce recruits for terror." This report focuses on 10 areas where the liberation of Iraq has improved the lives of Iraqis and the safety and security of the world. Some examples in this report include:

1. For the first time in the lives of most Iraqis, a representative government is being established and human rights and freedom are being enshrined.
   
2. Nearly 3 dozen countries are contributing financially to the renewal of Iraq, and 19 countries are providing personnel for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
   
3. The food distribution system is functioning, based on equitable needs rather than cronyism.
   
4. Nearly all Iraqi children have finished exams from last year. All universities are open.
   
5. A $53 million program to rehabilitate more than 100 schools and clinics is underway.

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[*]Introduction [*]10 Ways the Liberation of Iraq Supports the War on Terror[*]10 Signs of Better Security [*]10 Signs of Better Infrastructure and Basic Services [*]10 Signs of Democracy [*]10 Improvements in the Lives of Iraqi Children [*]10 Signs of Economic Renewal [*]10 Examples of International Support for the Renewal of Iraq [*]10 Signs of Cultural Rebirth [*]10 Steps to Improve the Lives of Iraqi Women [*]10 Voices of Liberation [/list]

[Warlady]

A lot has been accomplished since the fall of Saddam. Great work Bush and Co.!

[Timberwolf]

Great stuff for rebuffing liberal lies.