Need help responding to "Soldier's Iraq Report"

[jjmalonejr]

I'm so tired of people who continue to support this stupid, unnecessary war touting all of the "good news" to counterbalance all the horrifying bad news coming out of Iraq.

Any suggestions for helping the poor, misguided soul who sent me this understand why this "good news" pales in comparison to the horror?


Sent: Monday, April 19, 2004 3:45 PM
Subject: Fwd(4): Soldier's Iraq Report

Subject: Denison, Iowa - Soldier's Iraq Report

As I head off to Baghdad for the final weeks of my stay in Iraq, I wanted
to say thanks to all of you who did not believe the media. They have done a
very poor job of covering everything that has happened. I am sorry that I have
not been able to visit all of you during my two week leave back home.

Just so you can rest at night knowing something is happening in Iraq that
is noteworthy, I thought I would pass this on to you. This is the list of
things that has happened in Iraq recently: (Please share it with your friends and
compare it to the version that we hear!)

Over 4.5 million people have clean drinking water for the first time ever
in Iraq.
Over 400,000 kids have up to date immunizations.
Over 1500 schools have been renovated and rid of the weapons that were
stored there so education can occur.
The port of Uhm Qasar was renovated so grain can be off loaded from ships
faster.
School attendance is up 80% from levels before the war.
The country had it's first 2 billion barrel export of oil in August.
The country now receives 2 times the electrical power it did before the
war.
100% of the hospitals are open and fully staffed compared to 35% before
the war.
Elections are taking place in every major city and city councils are in
place.
Sewer and water lines are installed in every major city.
Over 60,000 police are patrolling the streets.
Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police are securing the country.
Over 80,000 Iraqi soldiers are patrolling the streets side by side with US
soldiers.
Over 400,000 people have telephones for the first time ever.
Students are taught field sanitation and hand washing techniques to
prevent the spread of germs.
An interim constitution has been signed.
Girls are allowed to attend school for the first time ever in Iraq.
Text books that don't mention Saddam are in the schools for the first time
in 30 years.
Don't believe for one-second that these people do not want us there. I
have met many, many people from Iraq that want us there and in a bad way. They say
they will never see the freedoms we talk about but they hope their children
will. We are doing a good job in Iraq and I challenge anyone,
anywhere to dispute me on these facts. So if you happen to run into John
Kerry, be sure to give him my email address and send him to Denison, Iowa. This
soldier will set him straight. If you are like me and very disgusted with
how this period of rebuilding has been portrayed, email this to a friend and
let them know there are good things happening.

Ray Reynolds, SFC
Iowa Army National Guard
234th Signal Battalion

[Howardx]

1. its astroturf

ive seen it attributed to at least 3 different soldiers

[jjmalonejr]

3. I know that.

I want to respond specifically to the bogus argument that: "We're doing so much good over there that the media doesn't tell you about."

[sangh0]

15. Propoganda 101

Make them prove it!!!

Don't believe anything they say. If someone shows you that letter, say "You wrote it" and then make them prove it really came from someone in the military.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Quite simple

You have no idea how many service members I have haerd from that call that hell what it is.

I suspect this letter is either genuine and good ol boy for acutally putting his hiney where his believes are, or... one of the many Karl Rove Specials that have circulated since the war started. And my bet is on the latter, this is a Karl Rove Special

[mike_c]

4. well, you might point out that most of those points...

...that are not more-or-less cosmetic are at least partly-- and often wholly-- the result of U.S. led economic sanctions that crippled the civilian economy of Iraq and destroyed many social services in the first place. We wouldn't have needed to invade Iraq in order to improve the lives of Iraqi's dramatically!

[jdsmith]

5. Try these URLs to start

http://www.orwelliantimes.com/2004/04/26.html

http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/reynolds.asp

http://cgibin.rcn.com/fillmore.dnai/cgi-bin/forum.pl?read=7463

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2004/4/21/0922/68350/18#18

[Salviati]

6. Here's some more info that may help in responding to it...

http://www.orwelliantimes.com/2004/04/26.html

[sushi]

7. I have no doubt

that good things are happening too in Iraq, and I have no doubt, no doubt at all, that nobody likes to be occupied, and nobody likes to be tortured and humiliated.

[SkipNewarkDE]

8. This isn't real

This is not an actual soldier's letter, this is some kind of propoganda astroturf. I have received this from a couple of different sources. In one version, it was attributed to an army "chaplan" (the mispelling is the circulator's, NOT mine). I laughed when I saw that the supposed author of the note had misspelled his own position in the military. This letter is pure and simple made-up bullshit.

[Bandit]

16. You mean Rove doesn't know how to spell either?

I guess Bush* and Rove are definitely a pair to draw to.

[TacticalPeek]

9. It's mostly unadulterated bunk.

The writer is so good at fantasy, there will surely be a place for him in the Iraqi National Congress.

Or, he's already there.

[fryguy]

10. not worth it

people will see what they want to see....if they support smirkco, then they will tout the positive signs of progress in Iraq - which admittedly there are. while if you disagree with chimpy and his emperor-like method of ruling, no amount of good now will be able to overcome the fact that the war was unnecessary and in the long run detrimental to US security.....

many of us here might have drank the kool-aid long ago, but people like the one who sent you this have clearly drank from he poisoned well.....the degenerative rotting of their mind may be beyond repair.....

[cjbuchanan]

11. I guess the easiest thing is to ask to see his facts

He states a lot of numbers, well ask where he got the "before" numbers. If he is going to make these statements, he needs to back them up with facts (same goes for anyone making statements about Iraq).

I would then look at who was providing those numbers before and who are providing the numbers now. For all we know, these numbers are coming from Chalabi.

Also, I am sure there are positive things happening in Iraq. I think these positives have been talked about in the media. I guess the question is, is the death of American soldiers and the amount of money we are sinking into this worth it. Each of us has to answer that for their own selves.

[yella_dawg]

12. Those numbers look awfully odd...

I'd start debunking by simply examining the thing claim by claim. 100% of hospitals at full staff? Not freakin' likely. US hospitals aren't at full staff, did they just clone nurses and doctors?

[frylock]

13. Girls are allowed to attend school for the first time ever in Iraq.

wow.. how about that. I bet negroes get to ride at the front of the bus, too.

[MnFats]

14. It's total and complete bullshit!

"Girls are allowed to attend school for the first time ever?"
What a crock! Iraqi women (perhaps the writer confuses Iraq with Afghanistan!) were never prevented from going to school. That's ridiculous!
In fact, Afghan women attended school before the Taliban took over.


and the bit about iraq receiving more (hell, twice as much?) electrical power that before the war is also bullshit! man parts of Iraq have no power and many cities have it only intermittently.


someone pulled these numbers out of thin air. Confront them -- demand sources, point out the obvious illogic in so many of these statements.


also, check www.snopes.com when something smells like these numbers do.


ON EDIT: Snopes has got it!
they offer this link & lots of related info
check here:

http://www.orwelliantimes.com/2004/04/26.html