<font size=4>A Just And Honorable Mission<font size=3>
By GINNY BROWN-WAITE
Special for The Tampa Tribune
Dec 21, 2003
Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, represents the 5th Congressional District of Florida. View pictures from her trip at www.house.gov/brown-waite/iraq.htm
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Recently I had the amazing opportunity to visit the country of Iraq. My time there was enlightening, eye- opening and an experience I will never forget.
Having been given the chance to tour the country, examine the infrastructure there, assess our reconstruction progress and meet personally with many of our troops - some from the Tampa and Orlando areas - I am more sure than ever that the mission the United States and its allies have taken on is just and honorable.
I want to share with you some of my experiences in Iraq and hope that you can gain some sense of what an awe-inspiring, patriotism-stirring trip this was for me and for the seven other members of Congress who went on the trip.
Our bipartisan group, made up of freshman and tenured members, thoroughly toured the country.<font size=3> For security reasons I cannot divulge the complete agenda of my trip, but I can tell you that because of ongoing, scattered incidents of violence from rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices, our security on this trip was very strict. At some points, our itinerary was abruptly changed to avoid serious threats.
During our five-day trip, our delegation toured large cities like Baghdad and smaller rural areas and villages. We visited the rudimentary power plants that had been neglected for more than 40 years and the nonfunctioning dams intended for agricultural purposes and water access.
We visited schools and saw how, thanks to funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, schoolchildren in Iraq have the proper supplies and are learning to read and write instead of to hate. They're reciting the alphabet instead of praise to Saddam and terrorist propaganda. They're learning English and accurate history, and teachers and parents are delighted at the results.
I spoke to one man whose daughter was about 7 or 8 years old. He had tears in his eyes because he was so thankful that she would now have an education. His son was a few years younger and was ``all smiles'' when he pointed to the American flag pin on his shirt.
While touring a woefully outdated hospital, I spoke to doctors and nurses there. The doctors told me that they desperately wanted access to medical seminars and training to update their skills. Saddam had barred their travel, even for training purposes, for fear that once outside the country, the doctors would never return.
The hospital I visited lacked current technology and was without many of what we would consider absolutely necessary medical technologies. However, the entire staff expressed gratitude that Americans and our allies had liberated the Iraqi people. Their freedom and our presence meant the hope for better lives and the possibility of improvements to the care offered at the hospital.
To me, the most important part of our trip was the opportunity to meet with several hundred servicemen and women in various locations around the country. We ate most of our meals with soldiers and airmen from our individual states. <font size=4>When I asked our soldiers if our efforts in Iraq were worth the cost and sacrifice, they answered ``yes'' to a person. I got the same response when I asked if they'd do it again.
If I had based my opinions on this war solely on the coverage of most major news outlets, I would have believed that terrorist attacks and rebuilding setbacks were regular, predominant occurrences in Iraq. That, however, is simply not the case.
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I am proud to have supported our mission in Iraq from the start. Our troops and our continued war on terror will have my support in the future because what they're doing for Iraqis, for democracy and for the entire world is extremely important.
If only everyone could have the chance to see our troops and our progress in this effort firsthand, surely they would believe our efforts are significant and worthwhile. The young American men and women in uniform and all they have endured and accomplished have made me exceptionally proud. Now, more than ever, their mission deserves the support of us all.
This story can be found at: tampatrib.com |
