Great report from one Lt. Col. Richard J. Leidinger on what he accomplished, what he saw, and what he believes about our country's efforts in Iraq.
Perhaps Leidinger’s biggest complaint is that “the media is downplaying the humanitarian efforts that make up most of the work the US forces are involved with, including the big reconstruction projects.” Those include, he said, reconstruction of water purification facilities, water treatment systems, hospitals and bridges — as well as the work involved in establishing local governments. While there’s a lot of press coverage of the Provisional Authority, he says, there’s almost no coverage of the countless military civil affairs people who are going into towns all over Iraq helping to establish city councils and fire and ambulance services, and teaching Iraqis how to repair the emergency equipment and how to get spare parts. US forces have also been at work on establishing communications — and they are about to bring up a cell phone network in the country. And, he adds, “I didn’t even touch on the rebuilding and resupplying of the schools.”
“Our doctors and their doctors have been working side by side,” says Leidinger, in order to get medical supplies and get the hospitals functioning. The three main hospitals in Kirkuk are all functional now, says Leidinger, “though certainly not up to Western standards.” He estimates that it took about three months after the major combat of the war ceased last spring to get them to the functional stage. But, he says, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are now working with the hospitals, and there is also a national health ministry.
“That’s probably 80 percent of what we’re [US forces] doing there — that’s the bulk of what the soldiers do every day.” Most people in the US, says Leidinger, “think we’re roaming around in convoys waiting to be attacked,” but those convoys that people see on television are usually protecting the day-to-day work of the military’s engineers, civil affairs personnel and medical workers, as well as the civilian workers.
(Thanks to Occam's Toothbrush, who somehow seems to find items of interest that you will not find anywhere else!)
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