bmetzler's Journal: Did You Know?

Of course I didn't know. How could I?

• Did you know that 47 countries have reestablished their embassies in Iraq?

• Did you know that the Iraqi government currently employs 1.2 million Iraqi people?

• Did you know that 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?

• Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20 Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers, all currently operating?

• Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January 2005 for the re-established Fulbright program?

• Did you know that the Iraqi Navy is operational?! They have 5- 100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a naval infantry regiment.

• Did you know that 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?

• Did you know that Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a Commando Battalion?

• Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers?

• Did you know that there are 5 Police Academies in Iraq that produce over 3500 new officers each 8 weeks?

• Did you know 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.

• Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received the first 2 series of polio vaccinations?

• Did you know that 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school by mid October?

• Did you know that there are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and phone use has gone up 158%?

• Did you know that Iraq has an independent media that consists of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations? Did you know that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004?

• Did you know that 2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a televised debate recently?

Of course we didn't know!
Why didn't we know? Our media wouldn't tell us!
Instead of reflecting our love for our country, we get photos of flag burning incidents at Abu Ghraib and people throwing snowballs at the presidential motorcades.
The lack of accentuating the positive in Iraq serves two purposes. It is intended to undermine the world's perception of the United States thus minimizing consequent support, and it is intended to discourage American citizens.

---- Above facts are verifiable on the Department of Defense web site.

Well done, sir

[RailGunner]

A home run - and not a wall scraper, a bonafide tape measure blast approaching 500 feet...

I linked to this JE from my journal.

So what's the over / under on liberals showing up and claiming the DOD site is nothing but government propoganda, further proving that liberals ignore facts when it doesn't suit their preconceived notions?

Useful Info

[Allen Zadr]

I think I need to ask my local paper for a comprehensive update on the overall progress in Iraq.

My cynical side wonders if all of this information comes soully from Halliburton. But, at least I can admit that I have a cynical side.

From the horse's mouth

[TheConfusedOne]

Here's but one [blogspot.com] of many independent reporters working in Iraq who are telling the real story, warts and all.

Take your cynical side out for a little blog-side buffet.

That is all good and well

[ces]

However the 'bad news' from Iraq is pretty bad by any objective measure.

Second 'bad news' is what sells in the news business.

Look at Aruba, the last thing I saw about Aruba in the media was about that missing girl.

Look at Canada, most of what makes the TV or paper here is 'bad news' of some sort.

For that matter look at any other part of the US, what tends to make the local media? 'bad news'.

Even locally a story about a murder or fire is going to trump the nice human interest story about the puppies being re

Re:That is all good and well

[RailGunner]

Yes, two-thousand Americans dead is indeed a grim milestone.

See, the MSM has pounded that phrase ("grim milestone") over and over again. It's almost Pavlovian, except that it's also very indicative of the current MSM groupthink. By the way, do a google search from "Grim Milestone" and you'll see Little Green Footballs lampooning the Pavlovian attempt, and then you'll see it over and over and over again. CNN. BBC. LA Times. NY Times. CBS. Newsday. The Globe. "Grim Milestone"

So in roughly 2.5 years, we've

Actually, Yes.

[Red Warrior]

But it's always good to be reminded.

But don't forget, the DOD is just a Karl Rove plant....

Awesome.

[Talinom]

It is nice to hear "the rest of the story" every now and then.