Learn from "Charlie Wilson's War"

Best idea ever!

This is an incredible movie on several levels, and we can indeed learn much from it-- most specifically, how we as a nation wound up in the sort of predicament whereby people in Afghanistan would wish us harm. It wasn't so much that we didn't build schools as it was that we made a huge imprint, allowed our activities to be cast in a light of religious warfare, then left altogether, and then continued to make a huge imprint in other places, never fully thinking through the many ramifications.
Building schools in Iraq isn't necessarily the answer-- it's been a bit of a sick joke among Iraqis since the dawn of the occupation that we tend to congratulate ourselves for doing exactly that. But we could definitely stand to start by doing some better thinking.

In Iraq today:

Currently, 86 of the planned 142 healthcare clinics by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are completed – 12 more clinics are expected to be completed in April. Each clinic sees approximately 300 patients a day.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ $288.5 million hospital program includes 25 renovation projects at 20 hospitals that focus on children’s and maternity care. Two new hospitals also are being constructed in Basrah and Maysan provinces. Currently, we have completed 17 of the projects, with the remaining eight (8) renovations expected to be completed by May 2008.

The Iraqi Ministry of Health is being provided $12 million for health-care training to ensure medical personnel have the knowledge to properly work the new equipment that the U.S. Government has funded. In addition, the MoH also has been provided with $12 million worth of 50 maintenance vans and medical repair tools for maintenance teams, and a one-year maintenance support contract for the Provincial Health Clinics. This will ensure that Ministry has the tools and expertise needed to keep the hospitals and healthcare centers up-and-running.

The Ministry of Education identified the schools it deemed needed work and the USG stepped in to assist. The school program – done with Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Funds – is complete with 1,885 new schools ($259.1 million); 1,604 repaired schools ($95.5 million); and $18.6 million in supplies and equipment.

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&secti...