The drumbeat goes on...the media fixated on death and dying...nothing good can come of Iraq they stress urgently, we must leave reads the subtext of every report. Democrats wallow in defeatism and negativity. Our enemies think all they need to do is up the murder ante and Bush will be defeated, the new American president will pull troops out, and it's back to business as usual.
This is what we are doing in Iraq, the future of the Middle East and our own children's security hinges on these boys and girls and others like them. Iraqi children can change the course of history or return to the fundementalist madrassas and the 5th century.
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Iraqi children at the new Domiz Park playground in Mosul, Iraq, gather together to thank the soldiers and take a picture, Sept. 22, 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Curtis Hargrave
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Orphans from the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, located in the town of Alqush, smile after receiving school supplies from soldiers of the 431st Civil Affairs attached to the 101st Airborne Division, Oct. 26, 2003. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Partricia Lage
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Defend America has a different picture of what is happening on the ground in Iraq.
HEALTH: Under Saddam, one in eight Iraqi children died before the age of five and infant mortality was among the highest in the Arab world. Quality healthcare was reserved for Baath party officials and others connected to the regime. During the 1990’s, Saddam cut spending on public health by over 90%. Today, working closely with the Iraqi Health Ministry and other Iraqi medical professionals, the Coalition is restoring and expanding basic health care services.- All of Iraq’s 240 hospitals have been re-opened, and 95% of Iraq’s health clinics are open and accepting patients.
- More than 22 million doses of vaccines have been delivered to support vaccinating 4.2 million children and 700,000 pregnant women. By the end of 2004, more than 90 percent of Iraqi children under age five will have been immunized against preventable diseases such as polio, tuberculosis, and measles. There are no signs of epidemics.
-The Coalition delivered more than 12,000 tons of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in the last 120 days.-Next year, the goal is to provide backup power systems to every Ministry of Health hospital in Iraq, provide medical-grade oxygen to all hospitals, and establish a healthcare facility replacement program.
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U.S. Army Capt. Lou Giangiulo, with the 10th Mountain Forward Support Battalion, listens with a stethoscope for any irregular breathing from a child, Oct. 2, 2003. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Hugo A. Baray-Vasquez
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U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jamie Houston, a dentist with the 502nd Dental Company, Fort Hood, Texas, shows a class of students at a school near Balad, Iraq, how to brush their teeth, Oct. 26, 2003. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jack Morse
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Do we leave Iraqi children to this fate? or this? It's your choice, your vote.