The Real Iraq

Amir Taheri once again puts things into perspective. This time he does so with Iraq in his article for Commentary Magazine entitled, "The Real Iraq". Mr. Taheri goes on to outline five principle measures of progress in Iraq.

1. Refugeees - 1.2 million have returned since toppling Saddam.
2. Pilgrams - 12 million now come to Iraq annually.
3. Economic - The Iraqi Dinar has risen 18% from August 2004 to August 2005.
4. Business Activity - 52.3% economic growth from 2003 to 2004.
5. Socialogical - Iraqis are verbalizing and debating among themselves.

Likewise, Mr. Taheri discusses insurgent failures at each point they attempted to prevent democracy's rise in Iraq.

1. Formation of Governing Council
2. Municipal Elections - 1.5 million people voted
3. First General Election - 8 million people voted
4. Drafting a Constitution - 9 million people voted
5. Second General Election - 11 million people voted
6. Convening of the First Iraqi Parliament
7. Inability to shut down essential Government Services
8. 8.5 million Iraqi children attend school daily - an all time high
9. University enrollment - an all time high
10. All 600 state run hospitals are open
11. Iraq is expected to meet OPEC quota of 2.8 million bpd by end of 2006

Mr. Taheri ends with a great quote.

Is Iraq a quagmire, a disaster, a failure? Certainly not; none of the above. Of all the adjectives used by skeptics and critics to describe todays Iraq, the only one that has a ring of truth is messy. Yes, the situation in Iraq today is messy. Births always are. Since when is that a reason to declare a baby unworthy of life?