Who thinks we haven't been making progress in Iraq?

Question

As of December 2003 we
...graduated the first battalion of the new Iraqi Army
...trained 60000 Iraqis to provide security for their citizens
...had nearly all of Iraq's 400 courts functioning
...Iraqi judiciary is fully independent
...Power generation exceeds pre-war average
...22 universities and 43 technical institutes were open and nearly all primary and secondary schools
...Increased the salary of teacher 12-25 times what it was b4
...Increased doctors salaries at least 8 times
...all 240 hospitals and 1200 clinics are open
...Pharmaceutical distribution is at 12000 tons
...22 million vaccinations were given to children
...14,000 Km of Iraq's weed-choked canals are open and functioning
...3/4 prewar phone services are in use
...Iraqi banks make loans to finance business and the central bank is fully independant
...Single unified currency for the first time in 15 years
...satellite TV dishes are legal
...Foreign journalists are free to work
...more than 170 newspapers
I'll add more

...representative government exists and elections have been held
...Iraqi's can participate in international events including the olympics
...Celebrate religious festivals
...13000 reconstruction projects have been completed
...children aren't imprisoned or murdered when their parents disagree with the government
...political opponents aren't tortured or killed when they disagreed with Saddam
...Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan are making small reforms to make a better democratic government
...Saddam is gone
...Iraq is free

15 hours ago
We came farther in the first 6 months of Iraq's reconstruction than We did in Germany 7 YEARS after WWII or Japan 9 YEARS after WWII

Freedom has its price. We can't expect to free 25,000,000 Iraqis for nothing. The 3000 troops or ours did a great thing for the world and they deserver a lot of honor. For you math people you can think of it as each soldier that died freed over 8,000,000 Iraqi's

...representative government exists and elections have been held
...Iraqi's can participate in international events including the olympics
...Celebrate religious festivals
...13000 reconstruction projects have been completed
...children aren't imprisoned or murdered when their parents disagree with the government
...political opponents aren't tortured or killed when they disagreed with Saddam
...Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan are making small reforms to make a better democratic government
...Saddam is gone
...Iraq is free

15 hours ago
We came farther in the first 6 months of Iraq's reconstruction than We did in Germany 7 YEARS after WWII or Japan 9 YEARS after WWII

Freedom has its price. We can't expect to free 25,000,000 Iraqis for nothing. The 3000 troops or ours did a great thing for the world and they deserver a lot of honor. For you math people you can think of it as each soldier that died freed over 8,333 Iraqi's

Answer 1

I agree , this is all great Progress, The only thing is we would
have to give credit, to President Bush and the American
Military. The News Media, will never allow this to come to light
unless a Democrat becomes President.

Answer 2

An impressive list, but some questions:

1. What is your source for this information? This is important to know so that others can judge its reliability.

2. Why from 2003? I have heard that things have deteriorated a lot since we won the war. If your source is saying all these improvements are still in place in 2007, it will bolster your argument--another reason citing a source is vital.

3. Why only one battalion trained in four years? I thought the generals said there would be 3 or 4 by this time.

4. I question your contention about power generation, based upon this statement from the Coalition Provisional Authority website:

Post-war looting and sabotage have severely degraded the electrical infrastructure, including the destruction of transmission lines, towers, and many substations. Decades of operation without regular maintenance and fuel shortages, however, have also severely hampered dependable production. As a result, the country now produces less than 4,000 megawatts daily, with blackouts, unplanned outages and other failures occurring on a frequent basis. The system is also inadequate to meet Iraq’s growing demands and lacks acceptable measures of reliability.

http://www.cpa-iraq.org/ES/electric.html

Answer 3

Your list seems to be impressive. But I wonder whether they're really achieved. If there were indeed 60,000 Iraqis trained to provide security, then why are American troops still in Iraq?. Why do the daily killings still takes place. Is this your notion of security?. Power generation exceeds pre-war average?. Why does electricity and water exist for only 4 to 5 hours daily, then none for the rest of the day?. Before the war, the Iraqis have electricity and water 24/7 uninterrupted. Schools, and universities?. Why none of the Iraqi youths are going to school now?.

I would like to give answers to your claims, but my arguments will become too long. You didn't even mentioned the sources of your information.

In summary, if there was indeed progress, why did millions of Iraqi citizens left their country as refugees?. Why do thousands of refugees are still leaving the country everyday?. The U.N. already raised the concern that the Iraqi refugee problem is now very serious.

Answer 4

All of these things sound great except for the sacrifice of one American for 8333 Iraqis. Not one death of an American is worth this. And if you look at the daily occurrences in Iraq, it is still a horror. 3 trillion bucks could have rebuilt a lot of America instead of giving it to a bunch of corrupt Iraqis. You mention Germany and Japan - do you really thing Iraq will be anything like those countries? We had no opposition during the occupation of those countries. Those people also had and still have a great work ethic. Culturally, you are discussing apples and oranges.

Answer 5

If we've done so much GOOD over there, why do they want us to leave?

Death and destruction is up far more than the few (grasping) "benefits" you mention.

We didn't invade Iraq to upgrade their sewers, build them a power grid, repaint their schools, or increase the salaries of their doctors. (For that matter, if salaries are up, it's to induce people to please please stay rather than fleeing the carnage abroad.)

The bottom line is, we weren't invited, we're not welcome, and they will fight us as long as we stay.

Period.

Answer 6

The iraq thing is alll bushes fault and I cant wait until his shift is over! not much progress anyways cuz that bush guy is thinking that its a good thing!

Answer 7

Are you justifying the killing of thousands of innocent civilians? Sorry, I don't agree with your Machiavellic ideas. THE END DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS!!!!!!

Answer 8

& i may be mistaken but didnt our forigen policy just recently help elect an alledged "terrorist" to a prominent position in that new government......

but yeah thats progress so long as they can keep it toghter.......like "japan" has......

Answer 9

Great. Can we go home now?

Answer 10

soo... what do you want me to say?