Great Stuff

From my future brother-in-law via my future mother-in-law- no idea where it originated:

DID YOU KNOW THIS?

Did you know that 47 countries have re-established their embassies in Iraq?

Did you know that the Iraqi government 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?

Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January 2004 for the re-established Fulbright program?

2Slick edit- Actually, I did know this. One of those 25 people was my interpretor from Mosul. Here's a snippet from one of the first emails he sent me after arriving in the US:

How is life with you? I miss you too much. I am in Indiana, Bloomington. I am doing my pre-academic course. I will stay here untill August, then the IIE (Institute of International Education ) guys will place me to the college where I will do my masters study. The head of the department of linguistics told me that I can apply for this university, and he gave me a special application form to fill in.

So there is a big chance to stay here for the rest of my study. Except missing home, I am doing good. Although cold, Bloomington is very nice place. I live in an apartment with two Iraqi room-mates. I go to school five days a week. I have a good relation with the professors of my department, and they don't stop encouraging me to stay here.

He's a great guy. OK, back to the post:

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,9 reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport aircraft 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 consist 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!
DAN RATHER WOULDN'T TELL TELL US.
PETER JENNINGS WOULDN'T TELL US.
THE NEW YORK TIMES WOULDN'T TELL US.
Because a Bush- hating media and Democratic Party would rather see the world blow up than lose their power.

Instead of shouting these accomplishments from every rooftop, they would rather show photo's of what a few perverted malcontent soldiers have done in prisons in many cases never disclosing the circumstances surrounding the events.

Instead of showing our love for our country, we get photos of flag burning incidents at Abu Ghraib and car bombing incidents.

The lack of accentuating the positive in Iraq serves only one purpose. It undermines the world's perception of the United States and our soldiers.

I AM ASHAMED OF MY FELLOW AMERICANS WHO WOULD RATHER SEE TERRORISM SUCCEED THAN A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT.

And Then There's This...

...a nice slideshow- sent to me by my lovely Auntie M.