Two-thousand American soldiers dead.
Suicide bombers.
Bad things happening in Iraq.
You know that story. You read and hear it again and again.
But what about the good stuff that’s happening? A consensus constitution voted on by the people of Iraq (9.8 million, according to the Iraqi Electoral Commission) was no small thing, even with its warts (which in a democratic Iraq, with flexibility built in, can be worked on still).
To counter a little of the gloom and doom (some of it justified, much of it antiwar propaganda), this week on NRO we’ll be focusing on some of the underreported good news in Iraq–progress that’s been made there and continues to be on a variety of fronts: political, military, culture. Reporting a bit on the progress may balance the scale; it’s something we owe the American servicemen and civilians who serve there.
Today W. Thomas Smith Jr. talks to some of the folks on the ground for a general round-up. It’s not just Americans and other Coalition forces winning battles. The Iraqis are taking their future into their own hands . . .