Wow, something good happening in Iraq?

Everyone hears about the bad stuff happening in Iraq, but no one hears about the good things going on over there. Check this out:

October 21, 2004
This report highlights overall accomplishments and weekly activities from
USAID�s reconstruction efforts in Iraq. For more information please visit
www.usaid.gov/iraq.

www.usaid.gov...

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.

Actually, this is what we WANT to be doing. Its actually happening every day. But it gets lost in all the terrorist attacks that are, not suprisingly, designed to get our attention away from these good things like rebuilding.

Can you imagine where things would be today if all our attention was spent on the actual rebuilding that we want to do other than defending ourselves against terrorists that have no Iraqi interests at all at heart? The vast majority of the insurgancy is fueled by a small-ish number of non Iraqis with thier own agendas to disrupt any efforts by the US.

These terrorsists could not care less about the Iraqi people. If they did, they wouldnt disrupt the rebuilding and you would see a VASTLY different situation over there right now.

Im just glad a little bit of it is making the news. I should also mention that file you stated is dated in October.

Yeah, this sounds great:

The collection system is nearly inoperabl due to collapsed pipes and blockages from trash or solids. These problems are causing serious health concerns in the local population, such as typhoid, cholera, diphtheria, and malaria. Testing, training, and commissioning of the network is scheduled for August 2005.

Currently, water losses in the Baghdad municipal water system run at approximately 60 percent. This is equivalent to three times the acceptable level of loss in the United States. These losses are primarily due to leaks in the system, illegal buildings, and un-metered use such as government buildings and fire protections.
These losses, along with failed water mains, result in extremely low
water pressure and contaminated water. The latter causes outbreaks of typhoid, cholera, and hepatitis in some of Baghdad�s poorest and most conflictive neighbourhoods.

How far behind are these projects?
Wasn't Bechtel supposed to have completed a lot of that by now?

Originally posted by Jaruseleh
Everyone hears about the bad stuff happening in Iraq, but no one hears about the good things going on over there. Check this out:

October 21, 2004
This report highlights overall accomplishments and weekly activities from
USAID�s reconstruction efforts in Iraq. For more information please visit
www.usaid.gov/iraq.

www.usaid.gov...

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.

Nice to see stuff like that. Now if someone could get the media to iar the information live on the nightly news.

Oh wait a minute they do not want to report good news all they want to report is the bad news.

Hope you put on your flame retardent vest you will need it from other forum members that are against anything the US Does.

Thanks again for the link

Originally posted by skippytjcThe vast majority of the insurgancy is fueled by a small-ish number of non Iraqis with thier own agendas to disrupt any efforts by the US.

You are still in denial my friend.
We were told early on that it was foreigners behind the insurgency but the assault on Fallujah proved otherwise:

U.S. overstated foreign fighter numbers in Iraq
"The question of foreign fighters crossing Iraqi (borders) has been exaggerated, given that only 24 of the 1,000 insurgents captured in Fallujah are foreign," Ath-Thawra said.

Ace, I am surprised that you, of all people don�t get this. It STARTED with non-Iraqi's. Then the place gets so destabilized and the situation disintegrate so much the Iraqis themselves get so disgruntled they start to revolt. Its a snowball effect. The foreigners disrupt things so much, thwart all efforts to stabilize and rebuild that the place is a hell hole. The Iraqi's blame it on the occupiers and its all on a roll now.

A chain reaction. I must say, I bet if an actual Iraqi citizen was given a choice, let the US occupy and rebuild your country, or fall into chaos and destruction while you resist, I can imagine they would choose the later.

If I were an Iraqi living under those conditions I may be an "insurgent" myself. I would only need to see my family suffer a bit before I picked up a gun and defended my country myself. And that�s exactly what the foreign terrorists with their agendas wanted. Worked like a charm. Make the occupiers fail, let conditions worsen and its all cake after that. Add a little propaganda in for effect and its on.

Originally posted by skippytjc
Can you imagine where things would be today if all our attention was spent on the actual rebuilding that we want to do other than defending ourselves against terrorists that have no Iraqi interests at all at heart?

If the insurgents don't have the Iraqi people's future at heart then why is the insurgency growing? Also America has already publicly stated its lost the hearts of the Iraqi people.

US admits the war for �hearts and minds� in Iraq is now lost

Originally posted by skippytjc
The vast majority of the insurgancy is fueled by a small-ish number of non Iraqis with thier own agendas to disrupt any efforts by the US.

How do you come to the conclusion that the resistance is a 'smallish number of non Iraqis'? A good example would be the initial strike on Fallujah where only a very small amount were confirmed to be foreign.

Few Foreigners Among Insurgents

Originally posted by skippytjc
Ace, I am surprised that you, of all people don�t get this. It STARTED with non-Iraqi's. Then the place gets so destabilized and the situation disintegrate so much the Iraqis themselves get so disgruntled they start to revolt. Its a snowball effect. The foreigners disrupt things so much, thwart all efforts to stabilize and rebuild that the place is a hell hole. The Iraqi's blame it on the occupiers and its all on a roll now.

As for the point that it is just a 'chain reaction' and that Iraqi's followed after the foreign fighters example. Well if the Iraqi people were happy with the occupation they would not revolt simply because a foreign fighter told them too, they would have fought against the foreigners.

Anyway I have seen no evidence that foreign fighters started the insurgency.

Originally posted by skippytjc
Actually, this is what we WANT to be doing. Its actually happening every day. But it gets lost in all the terrorist attacks that are, not suprisingly, designed to get our attention away from these good things like rebuilding.

Can you imagine where things would be today if all our attention was spent on the actual rebuilding that we want to do other than defending ourselves against terrorists that have no Iraqi interests at all at heart? The vast majority of the insurgancy is fueled by a small-ish number of non Iraqis with thier own agendas to disrupt any efforts by the US.

These terrorsists could not care less about the Iraqi people. If they did, they wouldnt disrupt the rebuilding and you would see a VASTLY different situation over there right now.

Im just glad a little bit of it is making the news. I should also mention that file you stated is dated in October.

Oh yeah, and the americans are the iraqis best friends right
The good old yanks comming to rescue their brothers from saddam the evil dictator, than bring piece, democracy and gold old fashioned kapatlism to the iraqi people who have suffered so much.
What an outrage that these people dont even appreciate all that america has done for them .

So much has been done since saddam is gone, the place is now a real piece of heaven on earth, the americans will do everything to make them happy againwithout anything in return, they just want some gratitute for all the hard work done out of idealism.

U.S. overstated foreign fighter numbers in Iraq
"The question of foreign fighters crossing Iraqi (borders) has been exaggerated, given that only 24 of the 1,000 insurgents captured in Fallujah are foreign," Ath-Thawra said.

I'll overlook the fact that your source is a Syrian newspaper if you'll admit the fact that the US gave Fallujah way too much notice that they would be coming in. Why do you think violence erupted all over the rest of Iraq while we were going into Fallujah?

That's right! The "foreigners" left Fallujah before the party started!

:shk:

Originally posted by jsobecky
I'll overlook the fact that your source is a Syrian newspaper if you'll admit the fact that the US gave Fallujah way too much notice that they would be coming in. Why do you think violence erupted all over the rest of Iraq while we were going into Fallujah?

That's right! The "foreigners" left Fallujah before the party started!

:shk:

If you don't want a Syrian source, then how about Fox News?

FoxNews
Coalition forces have detained some 1,052 enemy fighters and maybe more, Regnar told FOX. Some have been identified as foreign nationals, but the majority are Iraqis, according to Regnar.

If you want to argue that the fighters are foreigners who left before the offensive, that means all those Iraqis killed by US forces in Fallujah were civillians. Just admit that it's the Iraqis who are fighting against the occupation.

[edit on 15-12-2004 by AceOfBase]

Well, you got me there, with that Fox News quote. Doesn't change anything, though.

Call them civilians, or whatever you want to call them. They were a minority of Iraqi's who were resisting our troops. They were conned into staying by Zarqawi and the other terrorists, who promised them "backup" just as soon as they finished some business OUTSIDE of Fallujah.

Originally posted by jsobecky
Well, you got me there, with that Fox News quote. Doesn't change anything, though.

Call them civilians, or whatever you want to call them. They were a minority of Iraqi's who were resisting our troops. They were conned into staying by Zarqawi and the other terrorists, who promised them "backup" just as soon as they finished some business OUTSIDE of Fallujah.

Any evidence to prove that foreign fighters conned Iraqi's into fighting and then left Fallujah? I mean solid evidence by the way, and not some report by a US general saying he solemnly believes that�s what happened.

Originally posted by skippytjcIm just glad a little bit of it is making the news. I should also mention that file you stated is dated in October.

Yes, I know...it was the most recent report I could find on the topic...but it shows what has been done up to that point, and obviously more has been done since then.

Jeez, this topic started off talking about something good happening in Iraq, to people arguing over the bad stuff again. We already know about all the bad stuff, let's discuss this rebuilding thing.

[edit on 16-12-2004 by Jaruseleh]

the picture the media likes to paint of Iraq is one of barren dirt roads and fields, piles of rubble, and out of control anarchy

but while watching some raw footage on Reuters' site of a car bomb aftermath...something shocked me - ambulances, firetrucks, police all on the scene...your typical gawkers standing around...and one giant traffic jam

aside from the bombed out car - it looked like a typical urban center in anywhere USA - or the world - people commuting in rush-hour, going about their daily lives

that's because typical urban areas don't make news unless something blows up. Ratings come from destroyed neighborhoods, and lifeless bodies in the middle of the street.

When America and the rest of the world leaves Iraq, then that will be good news.

Untill then, I dont see that much good in the long run.