A few points of light from the propaganda offensive

[Barrett808]

It's Morning In Iraq
By Samuel Blumenfeld on 10/28/03
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The future of Iraq looks very bright – very bright, indeed. But you wouldn't know it from what you read in the liberal U.S. media or hear on BBC with their tales of terror and mayhem and "quagmire." True, the old Baathists and Saddam loyalists, aided by the influx of terrorists, are doing all in their power to get the coalition forces out so that they can restore their gangster reign of terror over the Iraqi people.

But President Bush has made it clear that we are in Iraq for the long haul. We will not leave until a democratic Iraq is established on a firm foundation of freedom and the rule of law. And, who knows, when that time finally comes we may decide to maintain a permanent military base in that country. After all, 50 years after World War II, we are still in Germany, and Ted Kennedy hasn't said anything about an "exit strategy."

The recent Zogby survey of Iraqi opinion leaves no doubt that the Iraqi people want their country to be more like the United States than any of the other Muslim states in the Middle East. And their view of the future is long-range. The survey states that Iraqis are optimistic about the future and expect their lives to be much better five years from now. And they don't want the U.S. to leave until the job of cleaning up Saddam's loyalists is completed.

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http://www.americandaily.com/item/3218

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Bush declines to tap Iraqi oil for rebuilding costs
By Bill Sammon
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

President Bush, who has long been accused by critics of waging war for oil in Iraq, yesterday said he will not give in to demands by those same critics to now take that oil as payment for reconstruction.

"That's exactly the point I made to the members of Congress who have come here to the White House to talk about loans or grants," Mr. Bush said in response to a question from The Washington Times in a Rose Garden press conference.

"Let's don't burden Iraq with loans," he said. "The only thing they'll be able to repay their loans with is the oil."

The president declined to say whether his critics were being hypocritical for flip-flopping on whether he should take Iraq's oil.

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http://www.washtimes.com/national/20031028-103839-9361r.htm

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A bloody march to peace
By Tony Blankley
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

President Bush continues to amaze, baffle and infuriate most of the Washington political class. Yesterday,hepronounced that "under my leadership, America is more secure and peaceful . . . the world is safer for having removed Saddam Hussein," even while the ambulances were still removing the dead and dying from suicide bomb sites in Baghdad. The president's claim of more security and peace only makes sense if one understands to what he is comparing the current condition.

Obviously, if we hadn't invaded Iraq (and Afghanistan), things would be more peaceful right now. American soldiers wouldn't be dying on foreign soil, and there would be no explosions on the streets of Baghdad. If we had let the U.N. quietly, politely and ineffectively continue to complain to Saddam Hussein and the Taliban for their various misdeeds, the French, Germans and many Muslim governments would not now be saying rude things about America. We might even be admired around the world for our forbearance, restraint and maturity after that tragedy in New York and at the Pentagon.

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http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20031028-083517-4875r.htm