War! What is it Good For?

What we have accomplished in Iraq

by Heidi Parent
06/16/04

A recent CBS News poll asked whether the war in Iraq worth it. Sixty-four percent of the respondents said no. Not a surprising result considering our 24-hour non-stop news cycle chooses to focus on only the bad. Abu Ghraib continues to be the story for the mainstream media. Follow up stories always include car bombings, suicide bombings, terrorist activity, and the like. And while I agree these stories are, of course, newsworthy, they do not tell the whole story. There is a lot of good taking place in Iraq that is being completely ignored by the mainstream press. And that is why I can’t help but wonder what the poll results would have been if the media highlighted just a few of the positive things we have accomplished.

For example, would the results have been different if respondents were reminded that because George W. Bush had the courage to remove Saddam Hussein from power:

- Terrorist groups need to look elsewhere to find a ruler sympathetic to their cause. In addition, even though we have yet to find large quantities of weapons of mass destruction, we know Saddam had chemical and biological weapons in the past; he used them against his enemies and his own people. However, now that he has been removed from power we’ve eliminated his ability to manufacture chemical, biological, and perhaps even more dangerous WMDs. Moreover, we've also eliminated the possibility of his passing along WMDs and the knowledge to manufacture them to terrorists groups.

- 25 million people have been liberated from Saddam Hussein’s murderous regime. And the thousands of innocent Iraqis who would have been tortured or killed this year by Saddam’s henchmen, won’t be.

- Iraqi children now have a chance to be educated without a barrage of Saddam propaganda. Coalition forces have renovated 2,500 schools and another 800 are scheduled to open soon. Moreover, almost 9 million textbooks have been printed and distributed along with 2 million student packets that contain pens, pencils, notebooks, and other essential materials.

- Communication restrictions have been lifted leaving Iraqis free to communicate without government monitoring or control. As a result, more than 340,000 Iraqis now have cell phones and more than 1/3 of the population owns a satellite dish, allowing them the ability to hear news without Saddam’s filter and control. Internet access is also widely available and is no longer monitored by the government.

- Freedoms we Americans take for granted – such as the right to free speech, the right to demonstrate without the fear of retribution, and the right to vote – have been granted to all Iraqis. Freedom of the press is also thriving. With Saddam gone, 120 papers are now being published nationwide and are free to print what they choose (including complaints and criticism about their government and American involvement). But perhaps the most striking freedom being enjoyed by Iraqis is the idea that the country is governed by the rule of law rather than the opinion of one man. This means for the first time defendants are innocent until proven guilty and are being afforded such rights as the right to remain silent, the right to a speedy, fair, and open trial, and the right to a defense lawyer.

- Basics like clean water and electricity have been made more accessible to all Iraqis. Fifteen million more people have access to clean water than had access under Saddam. And when Saddam was in power Iraqi homes only had electricity for about 7 hours a day, most of which was concentrated in Baghdad. That level has increased to 16 hours a day and now includes the entire country.

- Oil production has risen to over two million barrels per day, which exceeds pre-war levels by 500,000 barrels. This production translates this year alone into $6 billion in revenue.

- The Iraqi Governing Council has chosen an interim president and prime minister and nationwide elections are due to take place in January. All national ministries are now under Iraqi control, meaning Iraqis are the ones making decisions regarding policies, strategies, and budget. But perhaps most importantly, ninety-percent of Iraq’s municipalities are being governed by local councils. Which means for the first time in generations, Iraqis are truly electing their leaders. The importance of these local elections to achieving the final goal of self-rule cannot be overstated. As Victor Davis Hanson reminds us, “each time local elections are held, moderate Iraqis, not Islamic radicals, have won.”

- 240 hospitals and 1,200 health clinics have been renovated making heath care available to all Iraqis, not just the chosen Ba’ath party few. In addition, three million children have been vaccinated and modern medicines, such as cancer drugs, are available for the first time. Spending on health care has also increased. Under Saddam only $16 million a year was spent on health care; the vast majority of which went to Saddam loyalists. That budget has now increased to almost $1 billion and is spread equally amongst all Iraqis.

- Iraqi’s economy has also been strengthened. Under Saddam the currency printing press was fired up whenever he needed cash, resulting in high inflation and depressed living standards. The Iraqi people also used two different currencies – one in the north and one in the south. Since Saddam’s removal, both currencies have been replaced by one central currency that has grown stronger since its introduction.

- The theft from the UN’s Oil for Food program has ended. An investigation revealed that Saddam stole over $11 billion dollars from this program and used it to build almost 50 palaces, all the while criticizing the world, or more specifically the United States, for allowing his people to starve.

Admittedly there is more work yet to be done, but Iraqis are well on their way to self-rule. Obstacles will occur – no war has been fought without them – but how we respond and tackle those obstacles will determine whether or not we are successful.

It would be easy when faced with a challenge to throw in the towel and claim the work is too difficult, as some suggest. But to do so would give the terrorists who butchered innocent Americans like Nick Berg and Paul Johnson the victory they are seeking. But if these terrorists are not stopped and defeated in Iraq, does anyone doubt they would hesitate to do the same to every American if given the chance? And that is why we have to do all we can to win. Because we cannot afford to lose.

"The rise of a free and self-governing Iraq would deny terrorists a base of operation, discredit their narrow ideology, and give momentum to reformers across the region. This would be a decisive blow to terrorism at the heart of its power, and a victory for the security of America and the civilized world." --- President George W. Bush