Proof is in the numbers

[leroydb 0]

Proof is in the numbers
In the wake of what seems to be more negative than positive reporting on the progress being made in Iraq, one Soldier offers proof of the “why” we are there... I was fortunate enough to have this information forwarded to me via e­mail by a colleague of mine. She quali­fied the e-mail by saying that the folks who wrote it are traditionally known for being “a little conservative.”
And as I read it, I have to admit I was at first a little skeptical. My cyni­cism was short-lived because as I dis­covered all of the facts are easily veri­fied on any number of Department of Defense publications to include, www.defenselink.mil.So without fur­ther ado, here are just a few examples of the very real progress coalition forces are making right here in Iraq.
o Forty-seven countries have re­established their embassies in Iraq.
o The Iraqi government currently employs 1.2 million Iraqi people.
o About 3,100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under reha­bilitation, 263 new schools are now under construction and 38 new schools have been completed in Iraq.
o Iraq’s higher educational struc­ture consists of 20 universities, 46 institutes or colleges and four research centers.
o Talented Iraqi students departed for the United States in January 2005 for the re-established Fulbright Scholar program.
o The Iraqi navy is operational. Its fleet consists of five 100-foot patrol
craft, 34 in-shore patrol vessels and a naval infantry regiment.
o Iraq has established counterter­rorism and commando units.
o The Iraqi police have more than 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers. To be fair this is a work in progress, but as you can see the 55,000 is a large number of interested Iraqi citizens.
o There are five police academies in Iraq that produce more than 3,500 new officers each eight weeks.
o There are more than 1,100 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.
o About 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school by mid October 2007.
o 96 percent of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received the first two series of polio vaccinations.
o There are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and phone use has gone up 158 percent.
o Iraq has an independent media that consists of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations.
It is important for us as warriors to have vision past our political position on the war, and through the less than fair and balanced news coverage that our media has been providing lately.
It is impossible to fight if you do not recognize the good that has come of our efforts here? With one eye on our past successes, we must keep the other focused on our mission, allowing for a successful, responsible and expedi­tious redeployment home.

Leroy


..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio...

[Hausse 0]

Are there any numbers of how it was before the war since just the now numbers don't really say all that much by themself?

[shropshire 0]

o 100% of the kids killed in the ridiculalious invasion will not need to do their home-work this evening.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[kallend 1,651]

Mussolini made the trains run on time.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[billvon 2,435]

> Proof is in the numbers

So how are the numbers for Afghanistan looking?

(I have a feeling the story will suddenly change to "numbers aren't the whole story.")

[shropshire 0]

Quote

Mussolini made the trains run on time.

Hitler had some jolly nice roads.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[quade 3]

Yes. Yes, indeed. The proof really is in the numbers.

Specifically, the 1s and 0s of data that are easily searchable via Google.

For instance, did you know that this "letter" has been in circulation since mid-2003?

Snopes.

Lemme ask you this, since this forwarded email circle jerk was first written FIVE YEARS AGO and since has received some minor date changes, how much has actually improved?

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[nerdgirl 0]

The number that I’m finding most important right now is 88%.

That's the decline over a year (May 07-08) in US service member deaths due to IEDs in Iraq.

The reasons: material (technology, e.g., MRAPs and surveillance) and non-material (counter-insurgency, e.g., employing 'Sons of Iraq' at $8 a day to be 'eyes & ears' ... & to not do less desirable things) solutions.

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[pirana 0]

So we went there to build schools and improve their cell phone access?

I thought it had something to do with WMD and terrorism. But that didn't pan out, so schools and cell phones make a nice fall back.

But no matter, there are plenty of other places with bad schools and cell phone access. Good to know there is plenty of fodder for invasion after we're done in Iraq.

And if we find an unfriendly government that does not have those problems, it's easy enough to find some other reason. Maybe they are being denied access to Starbucks. That would be an invasion worthy crime, right?

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

Mussolini made the trains run on time.

He also was an early pioneer of head-down.

[StreetScooby 5]

Quote

He also was an early pioneer of head-down.

We are all engines of karma