ABC Nightline for Tues: Is life better today in Iraq?

[Bozita]

Nightline has not pulled punches in recent shows. Their daily email:

 
Nightline Daily E-Mail
November 4, 2003


TONIGHT'S FOCUS: Now six months after President Bush declared the major fighting over in Iraq, how is life improving for the Iraqi people? Certainly, safety and security are a huge concern. But for an average Iraqi, it's the little things that cease to be little and that can define your life as better or worse. Is the electricity on? Are the schools open? The roads passable and safe? Is there a justice system in place? A water treatment plant? As part of ABC News' collaboration with Time Magazine, we explore life in Iraq — after Saddam, is it better yet?

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The arguments that the President offered for going to war in Iraq were many. There were the weapons of mass destruction, of course, but let's leave that thorny subject to another night. One of the main arguments was to relieve the Iraqi people of the despotic rule of Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq with a cruel and vicious dictatorship. His country and its people suffered while he and his family built opulent palaces. The country endured years of sporadic bombing for violation of U.N. sanctions and finally was the battleground for this year's devastating ground and air campaign.

And so it was assumed by many that the removal of Saddam Hussein and the toppling of his regime would improve the living conditions for most Iraqis. But as we have all seen over the last several months, life after the war is messy and unpredictable. Another U.S. soldier from the First Armored Division was killed on a Baghdad road just today. And as I write this, there are early reports of explosions in Central Baghdad, near the U.S. compound.

These kinds of attacks tend to dominate media coverage here. But often what gets lost is the day to day condition of Iraqi lives. After Saddam, what parts of life in Iraq are improved? What parts of life are actually worse now than under Saddam?

Tonight we pull together a broad assessment of life in Iraq. This project is part of a collaboration with Time Magazine. ABC News and Time correspondents have traveled throughout the country, assessing life in various Iraqi cities by focusing upon three broad areas: the security situation, the construction of a new government, and the country's infrastructure. These three areas speak to many aspects of what makes life better or worse after Saddam. But the three areas also overlap. As one Iraqi tells us tonight, there is a new highway system open — but many Iraqis are afraid to use it.

We hope you'll join us.

Sara Just and the Nightline Staff
ABCNEWS Washington bureau

[kayell]

1. The segment last night on ABC news was good

I'm looking forward to seeing this.

[RichM]

2. What exactly do you mean, "Nightline has not pulled punches?"

To "not pull punches," in my book, would mean bluntly stating that the president of the US lied to take the country to war; that all the noise about WMD was pure fraud; that a historic war crime has been committed by the United States government, & that 100% of the US media is pretending not to have noticed any of this.

I haven't seen Nightline lately, but I'd be surprised if they are saying anything remotely like that.

[Bozita]

3. Take a look at Friday's transcript.

from Friday's show:

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Nightline/Politics/powell_031101.html


KOPPEL:  We were just "flat-ass" wrong in terms of what was being projected by the secretary of defense, by the assistant secretary of defense. You notice I'm not quoting you, I don't have any quotes readily available there, but they appear to have been wrong.

You're giving me that wonderful little smile that says you don't think I'm going for that one.

POWELL:  No, I was giving you that wonderful little smile because as secretary of state I'm not, I'm not permitted, really, to speak in the same rather graphic terms that you are —

[Bozita]

4. kick

[Bozita]

5. I'm looking for a transcript of Monday's Nightline

Can't find it anywhere.

[Bozita]

6. four minutes and counting

[Cush]

7. kick

6 reporters, 3 from ABC, 3 from Time have visited more than 30 cities

plus ohter reporters....

[Cush]

8. In the north, farmers have to import food

when farmers go into their fields, they area harassed by soldiers. The soldiers are using a heavy handed approach which doesn't sit well with the people

[Cush]

9. so much for the schools (Baghdad)

many shut down this week do to security concerns, armed guards are now being posted outside the schools, education is being hampered

[Cush]

10. Former freedom fighter

who plotted against Saddam returned home and wants to build a sewer system in his home town, but the US & British aren't helping. Where is the democracy and justice? Where did the money go?

[Cush]

11. Medical Care is slightly worse

due to bombings and people pulling out

[Kinkistyle]

12. Reading the Riverbend and Salam Pax blogs

Gives a pretty good idea of what life in Iraq has turned into for its civilians. Not good in the least.

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com
http://dear_raed.blogspot.com

[Cush]

13. on ethnic tensions

some are saying that the ethnic tensions are as high as they've ever been, which is hampering development of new councils, governments, feuds over land, etc

[Cush]

14. Councils and Judges

are seen as being controlled & picked by Americans, and that they really aren't doing anything

[wuushew]

15. kick

Was the state of the electrical grids and water systems actually stated? I would like an percentage figure.