What they don't want you to know

The media have been constantly repeating this phrase "Since the end of major combat" followed by a litany of American casualties. You might have missed some of the other news that has been somewhat underreported since that announcement. SRF

Since an end to major combat...the first battalion of the new Iraqi Army has graduated and is on active duty·

Since an end to major combat ... over 100,000 Iraqis now provide security to their fellow citizens.

Since an end to major combat, nearly all of Iraqis 400 courts are functioning.

Since an end to major combat ... the Iraqi judiciary is fully independent.

Since an end to major combat.. power generation hit 4,518 megawatts—exceeding the prewar coverage

Since an end to major combat...all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools.

Since an end to major combat, coalition forces have rehabbed over 1,500 schools - 500 more than their target.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... teachers earn from 12 to 25 times their former salaries.

Since an end to major combat all 240 hospitals and more than 1200 clinics are open.

Since an end to major combat ... doctors salaries are at least eight times what they were under Saddam.

Since an end to major combat. Pharmaceutical distribution has gone from essentially nothing to 700 tons in May to a current total of 12,000 tons.

Since an end to major combat ... the Coalition has helped administer over 22 million vaccination doses to Iraqis children.

Since an end to major combat ...a Coalition program has cleared over 14,000 kilometers of Iraq's 27,000 kilometers of weed-choked canals. They now irrigate tens of thousands of farms. This project has created jobs for more than 100,000 Iraqi men and women.

Since an end to major combat...the coalition has restored over three-quarters of prewar telephone services and over two-thirds of the potable water production.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... there are 900 full-service connections. We expect 50,000 by January first.

Since an end to major combat...the wheels of commerce are turning. From bicycles to satellite dishes to cars and trucks, businesses are coming to life in all major cities and towns.

Since an end to major combat. Iraqi banks are making loans to finance businesses.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...foreign journalists aren't on 10-day visas paying mandatory and extortionate fees to the Ministry of Information for minders and other government spies. They are free to come and go.

Since an end to major combat there are more than 170 newspapers now in operation.

Since an end to major combat ... today in Iraq chambers of commerce, business, school and professional organizations are electing their leaders all over the country.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the Iraqi government regularly participates in international events. Since July the Iraqi government has been represented in over two dozen international meetings, including those of the UN General Assembly, the Arab League, the World Bank and IMF and, today, the Islamic Conference Summit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today announced that it is reopening over 30 Iraqi embassies around the world.

Since an end to major combat...Shia religious festivals are no longer banned.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat...the coalition has completed over 13,000 reconstruction projects, large and small as part of a strategic plan for the reconstruction of Iraq.

Since an end to major combat ...Uday and Qusay are dead -- and no longer feeding innocent Iraqis to his zoo lions, raping the young daughters of local leaders to force cooperation, torturing Iraq's soccer players for losing games and murdering critics.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...political opponents aren't imprisoned, tortured, executed, maimed, or are forced to watch their families die for disagreeing with Saddam

OTHERWISE THINGS ARE IN A QUAGMIRE.

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