»Amazing! There IS good news in Iraq«

Last week the Center for Strategic and International Studies released its long-awaited report on Iraq. The Washington think tank's assessment, titled "Progress or Peril? Measuring Iraq's Reconstruction," was summed up by one newspaper in a sentence: "Iraqi Optimism Endures but It Is Fragile."

Coincidentally, a similar headline about American attitudes would not be out of place. But whereas the fragility of Iraqi optimism is a function of continuing violence and reconstruction pains, American optimism is under the constant assault from negative media coverage, nowadays amplified in the political echo chamber of the presidential election campaign.

Society. Elections are still a few months away, but the people of Iraq are already looking forward to the opportunity of electing their own government. The Iraq office of the International Republican Institute recently released the results of an August poll of Iraqi attitudes, conducted by the Independent Institute for Administrative and Civil Society Studies (the International Republican Institute, by the way, is not a part of a vast right-wing, neocon conspiracy, but a " non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing democracy, freedom, self-government and the rule of law worldwide"). Among the results:


More than 77% of respondents feel that "regular, fair elections" would be the most important political right for the Iraqi people and 58% feel that democracy in Iraq is likely to succeed. When asked about the upcoming elections, 62.2% expressed confidence that their ballot selection would be kept secret and above 75% felt that the elections would reflect the will of the Iraqi people.
Iraqis remain optimistic about the future and committed to seeing Iraq through her democratic transition. 50% disagree with the statement that "my life was better before the war." In contrast to daily media reports of the hardships of today's Iraq, more than 70% of respondents would not leave their country if given the opportunity to live elsewhere. An overwhelming majority express an optimistic streak that belies foreign naysayers, with 75% expressing hopefulness about the future. . . .

Government officials and governing bodies have also earned the trust of the Iraqi people. President Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawer and Prime Minister Ayed Allawi are "completely" or "somewhat" trusted by 68% and 60.6% respectfully. While IRI's July/August poll showed that Iraqis were concerned with security, the Iraqi Police and Army are well-placed to deal with these concerns, with 80.3% and 71.6% of respondents expressing trust for the Iraqi men and women trying to bring about peace. The Interim Government of Iraq (IGI) is trusted by 65.1% of Iraqi citizens. Iraqi courts and judges--critical in implementing the rule of law in Iraq--maintain the trust of 64.4% of respondents.

After decades of enforced silence, the Iraqis are relishing a chance to speak out. Radio Dijla (Tigris), which went on air in April, continues to go from strength to strength. One of 15 new private radio stations, Dijla is the only one so far to pursue the talk-radio format. It broadcasts for 19 hours a day and receives 185 calls an hour--more than the station staff can handle--mostly about everyday life's big and small problems:

Beyond easing the frustrations of daily life, the station provides a chance for Iraqis to talk publicly about politics for the first time in decades. Listeners' calls open a window onto the lives of ordinary Iraqis, whose opinions often go unheard in the frantic pace of bombings, kidnappings and armed uprisings.
"After 35 years of people not being able to say what they wanted, we need something that can translate our feelings," said Imad al-Sharaa, a news editor at the station.

One such program was broadcast June 30, on the day before Saddam first appeared in court. The program director and host, Majid Salim, asked listeners what they wanted to see happen to him. The answer was something of a surprise for Salim. "Most people wanted him executed," Salim said.

Another time, Salim asked listeners what they thought about the violent insurgency that has railed Iraq. "We asked them, is it terrorism or is it resistance," Salim said. "A very large proportion--almost 100 percent--said terrorism. They did not like it."

On Iraqi TV, the sign that the broadcaster has truly come of age--an aerobics show. Overall, communications throughout Iraq are improving:

Under Saddam Hussein, the government saw Iraq's postal service as a great way to spy on its citizens. Receipt of an overseas letter was often accompanied by a summons from authorities asking about foreign contacts. Mail was frequently censored or went missing.
After a $20 million renovation--half the funds from Iraqi oil proceeds and the rest from the U.S. Treasury--mail service in Iraq now is creeping into the modern world.

There is still a long way to go--as the article notes, "Iraq has only 208 mail carriers to cover its 168,754 square miles. Compare that to the 10,000 letter carriers who serve New York City's 320 square miles." But the Iraqis now have lot of other, previously unavailable communication options open to them in addition to traditional mail:

Internet cafés are sprouting everywhere, though connectivity in the home is rare. Telephone service, devastated by the war and subsequent looting, is returning. Cell phone service is available now in Baghdad. Satellite dishes are on virtually every home and apartment building, bringing in Arab and foreign language television stations.

In electricity news, "U.S. engineers have helped place seven generators on line this month in Iraq, bringing the national electricity capacity to more than 5,300 megawatts--a level that exceeds the country's pre-war capacity of 4,400 megawatts." Said Raad Shalal, a senior Iraq Ministry of Electricity official: "This is very good news. This will help to reduce the shortage of electricity across the country." This 33-megawatt generator started operation on Aug. 30 at the Qudas Power Station north of Baghdad and is now producing enough electricity to service nearly 100,000 homes in the central area of Iraq. A day before, another generator was restarted in northern Iraq, powering 17 megawatts and supplying electricity for 51,000 homes. The two new generators are part of 202 megawatts added to Iraq's national grid in August and 1,574 megawatts since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started working on the country's electricity system last year.

Recent public opinion surveys conducted by IRI show Iraqis to be surprisingly optimistic about their future and much stronger supporters of democracy than many new reports would lead you to believe.

Over 51% of Iraqis polled felt that their country is headed in "the right direction," up slightly from IRI's May/June poll. More telling, the number who feel that things are heading in "the wrong direction" has dropped from 39% to 31% over the same time period.

Some of this confidence may be a result of wide public support for the Iraqi Interim Government. Prime Minister Allawi holds an enviable approval rating, with 66% rating him as either "very effective" or "somewhat effective." Likewise, President al-Yawer enjoys the support of 60.6% of Iraqis polled who say that they "completely trust" or "somewhat trust" him.

In a stunning display of support for democracy and a strong rebuttal to critics of efforts to bring democratic reform to Iraq, 87% of Iraqis indicated that they plan to vote in January elections. Expanding on the theme, 77% said that "regular, fair elections" were the most important political right for the Iraqi people and 58% felt that Iraqi-style democracy was likely to succeed.

Looking forward to the drafting of the new constitution, a cumulative 67% place a strong importance on the preservation of a unified state, with 56% citing this as issue of primary importance. On the role of religion in determining the new constitution, while support for Shiri'a law is strong at nearly 70%, there is divided opinion on whether the government should create a secular state that respects the rights of all religious, tribal and ethnic groups with 49% agreeing and 40% disagreeing.

Support for political parties remains largely undefined with 80% not identifying with any political party. In determining who they would support, a large plurality of Iraqis, nearly 45%, say that a militia attached to a political party would make them less inclined to vote for that party. Only 7% indicated that the presence of a militia would make them more inclined to support a party. Among those polled, religious leaders enjoyed the support of 30% as possible election candidates, with university professors (24%) and party leaders (15.5%) rounding out the top three preferences. Iraqis further indicated a strong preference for "modern" (64%) versus "traditional" (18%) candidates, while also preferring "religious" (69%) candidates to "secular" (24%) ones.

Continued polling is planned on at least a monthly basis as IRI continues its work in developing political parties in anticipation of the January elections and helping the Interim Government to be responsive to citizen's needs.

The Iraq office of the International Republican Institute recently released the results of an August poll of Iraqi attitudes, conducted by the Independent Institute for Administrative and Civil Society Studies (the International Republican Institute, by the way, is not a part of a vast right-wing, neocon conspiracy, but a " non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing democracy, freedom, self-government and the rule of law worldwide").

Allawi's move, which will grant the Iraqi authorities sweeping powers to impose order, came as troops from the United States and Iraq carried on with intense preparations for an expected assault on the rebel-held city of Fallujah. The state of emergency, scheduled to last for 60 days, applied for the whole country except for the northern region of Iraqi Kurdistan, Allawi's spokesman Thaer Naqib said.

As part of an effort to help Baghdad University expand its collection of contemporary language books, U.S. military engineers worked with Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen in Germany to deliver textbooks and literature donated from German students and faculty to Baghdad University's College of Languages. More than 500 books and 300 pamphlets were shipped to the University's language library. Baghdad University's College of Languages teaches Spanish, German, Russian, Farsi, Hebrew, English, French, and Italian and has over 4,000 daytime and 3,000 evening students. (CENTCOM)

The Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Center (HACC), operated by the Polish Army, has provided medicine, food, and toys to the Iraqi people. The HACC donated 450 cartons of antibiotics and painkillers to hospitals in Hilla and Al Kut. Toys collected by Polish children were distributed by HACC to Iraqi children at a primary school in Hilla. The Polish Army also donated 1,200 kg of food to villages near Karbala and an orphanage in Hilla. (CPA)

The Coalition Provisional Authority and Iraqi workers built a new school in Hilla, Babil Province. Liberation School, so named by local school officials, will provide more than 400 boys and girls an opportunity to attend primary school in their own neighborhood. To date, the CPA has provided funding to repair more than 1,040 schools, built playgrounds and sports fields, provided youth centers, and repaired child care centers. (CPA)

Renovations to the Abu Hanifa Forum were recently completed with the assistance of USAID partner IRD as part of the USAID's Community Action Program (CAP). The forum has served as a community meeting place for the last 50 years, but had fallen into a state of serious disrepair. After meeting with IRD, local residents identified renovation of the site as a community priority. Now the forum is once again a home for lectures, meetings, and a library. (USAID)

Nearly three-quarters of Iraq's 27,000 kilometers of vital irrigation canals were weed-choked by years of neglect. Today the CPA has spent nearly $9 million in Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) funds to clear over 18,500 kilometers of irrigation canals, bringing water thousands of farmers, and creating jobs that boost the economy. (CPA)

The Marshlands Restoration and Management Program is partnering with the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Environment, University of Basrah, AMAR Charitable Trust, Iraq Foundation and the governments of Canada, Italy, United Kingdom, and Australia to build local capacity. Program initiatives include creating a hydraulic model of the marshes to improve water management through the Ministry of Water Resources, equipping a soil and water quality lab at the Center for Iraq Marshlands Restoration, monitoring water quality in reflooded sites, and extending healthcare services to marsh dwellers. (USAID)

Health care spending is now 26 times what it was under Saddam. All 240 hospitals and 95 percent of Iraq's clinics have reopened, neglected health care facilities are undergoing reconstruction and rehabilitation, 856 health projects have received funding, distribution of medicines has reached 12,000 tons, and over 22 million vaccinations have been administered. (CPA)

The University of Baghdad is working with a consortium of US universities to develop an Archaeology program and facilities. a team of Iraqi and American educators (from SUNY at Stony Brook) visited the University of Baghdad College of Arts (Kulliyat al-Adab) library and the Mosul Univeristy College of Arts library. The team assessed the IT capacity and library resources and training needs. (USAID)

Archaeologists, the Ministry of Culture and the CPA are developing an Archaeological Sites Protection Project to step up the protection of Iraq's more than 7,000 identified archaeological sites. Part of the Facilities Protection Service Project includes the deployment of armed guards trained by the Italian Carabinieri.

Citizens of Al Kabani have clean water and constant electricity flowing into their homes for the first time in years, thanks to their local government, the Marines and their own hard work.
Thirty-five local Iraqis worked 10-hour days for more than a month to complete the 30,000 gallon-per-hour water purifier, which will serve a population of 3,000 in three villages. The reserve infantry battalion, based at nearby Camp Taqaddum, funded the $175,000 project and the $22,000 generator.