Thank you Richard for giving us this story. The children of this war are the forgotten ones, and with the telling of your story they now have people half way around the world who want to help them. You've done a wonderful thing.

sometimes one directly involved with the event simply cannot see the forest for the trees. i believe this to be this reporter's case. it is normal to feel compassion when one sees young childrens' unbearable suffering. take a perspective look. the children are undoubtedly suffering because our american soldiers are in iraq. i remember in the first days of this war where a british reporter told of a young child's arm laying amongst the rubble of a bombed house. i felt hurt, frustration, and rage because a young child was blown apart needlessly. by an american bomb. what are we doing there? is the purpose of this war only to create more orphans and amputees? i would suggest for this concerned reporter to take a real, perspective look of why there are so many orphans. when this war is over and things might be as normal as could be, i will gladly sign up and help these orphans try to become normal people. as long as there are american soldiers in baghdad, there will be more orphans of baghdad.

I agree with the previous post, this story brings home just how lucky I am to have been brought up and reside in the United States -given so much! It also reminds me of how wonderful people can be! Thanks for informing us Richard.

my heart breaks for all the children, especially the 3 sisters with whom you have reported about! Although I have read and understand the policy, it's a shame adoption isn't an option! Thank you for bringing this story to us and continue to let us into their lives, by continual updates!!

I would love to adopt one of these girls, there must be a way. My husband and I both fell into tears at the dinner table when we saw this story tonight.

Thank you for your touching report. Medical Aid for Iraqi Children (MAIC) is another highly respected registered charity, based in the UK, that has done much to save children's lives and provide for their welfare (http://www.maic.org.uk). Please keep showing the human side - and cost - of the Iraq war.

Richard's story was gut wrenching to hear and watch. It is not money that these girls, these children need, it is security, love, mental health care, and a new life. Why, with all the open arms, including mine, can't we bring them here to be salavged just like we do when there is an ill child in need of American medicine/surgery? Saving them from possible death would be worth keeping them in the US if only for a few years. Blessings to Richards heart.

I missed this story the first time around and am so glad it was re-aired! While it is a terribly sad story, it also warmed the heart to see you and your crew making a difference for these kids, if only for a little time - it was written on their faces how much they enjoyed your visit! I wish I was able to go and help them or even contribute money; but, alas, like many others, I am unable to do much except pray for the kids and for the Americans with the financial means to be extremely generous toward these adorable children!

Thank you for the sad, but wonderful story.

It breaks my heart to see stories like this when so many American families are desperate to adopt children. Why can't these children be adopted?

Thank you for your story. My reaction is one of compassion and concern for these children, particularly psychologically. You make it clear the most critical needs are love, compassion and companionship. Those in orphanages, whose physical needs are being met and are probably safer than many children more accessible to the violence, need those things that are most difficult to provide. I HAVE AN IDEA that is probably not just my own. If we want to help and cannot be there to provide these three essential things, can we not help provide them through communication? Can our school children, children in religious classes, parents of these children and others lend their love, compassion and presence through ADOPTING A CHILD IN AN ORPHANAGE AS A PEN PAL, establishing a long term relationship to help them know there are people from other parts of the world who care for them but cannot be with them? I know there is a language problem for most of us, but this is small compared to the need and can be resolved. I would like to find out if there are others out there who are of a similar mind. Perhaps we can band together and provide this kind of support to these children whose parents have paid the ultimate price for their children’s futures.

I just saw the rebroadcast of this report and it is as irresponsible as it is well intended. For one it is obviously designed to call people to activism and no surprise it has spurred interest in adopting these children. The only problem: during the on-air broadcast of the piece was any mention made about the fact that Sharia law (governing law predominant in most muslim countries, INCLUDING Iraq) does not permit adoption. Only at the bottom of your website here does it even mention it when directing people to the Consular Affairs website of State. What also concerns me is in the reference your website makes to the "State Department's policy regarding intercountry adoption with Iraq." That is just misleading. The State Department is merely providing information on what the a country's adoption laws are is and not in a postion to tell any country what its adoption laws should be. It is Iraqi law that does not permit for intercountry adoption. Please change your language accordingly to avoid any confusion.

This broke my heart and reminded me of the countless orphans we saw and tried to help while serving in Viet Nam over 35 years ago. When will we learn the effect of war on the innocent is never worth it. Sending as much as I can possibly afford.

I want to know how come there are no stories about the U.S. kids that were left orphaned due to attacks on 9-11. Why is it that more concern is given to those victims on the other side then to those victims right here at home? I am not saying that we should not be concerned with victim situations around the world, but I do believe that we should take care, first and foremost, with the people in need here in our homeland.

What a great story, I was in tears. I want to give and donate .. those images will follow me to the pillow every night.. but when I see the addresses of the locations to donate for example Malibu, CA- The giver in me is to skeptical. The only thing I can offer is a prayer now.

Thank you Richard for your touching story.Few years ago I cried alot when I saw the orphans in Romania,now it's in Iraq and God knows where it will be tomorrow? Just tell me please Richard who gets the benefits from this war? All I see a whole destroyed Iraq from A to Z .

Richard,

I hardly ever watch re-runs, but it was a pleasure to watch the re-broadcasting of this story. You simply outdid yourself with this touching story about these beautiful girls. I haven't seen ALL the stories you've ever done, but of the ones I've seen, this is the very best of them all (in my humble opinion). I'm confident that you will keep us updated. I look forward to seeing the next update.

I love reading your blogs. Thank you for taking so much of your time to share your thoughts. I appreciate you and pray for your safety. I'm sure you will continue to take care and use extra precautions.

You have my warmest regards.

May God hold you gently in the Palm of His Hand.

A more accurate link for No More Victims is http://www.nomorevictims.org/. They are a 501(c)(3) qualified charity offering tax-deductible donations to US citizens.

Richard,
Thank you so much for bringing us up to date on this touching story of the orphan girls. Seeing it aired again tonight was just as emotional for me as it was when I first saw it the first time during Memorial Day weekend. It is good that we now know avenues where we can give assistance to these forgotten children, so that somehow they will know that they are loved and cherished by so many. You've done an outstanding job with this. Thank you.

Mr. Engel, as with many I found your story on Iraq's orphans moving. Many people do want to help, but the question is how? I thought Joanne's idea of our school children being pen pals with children in Iraq's orphanages is an outstanding idea. Why? It addresses various issues. One, from an emotional standpoint it can help the children understand they are not alone, loved, and hopefully can help them deal with these terrible times. Two, that American school children are their friends and care about them. Three, hopefully many of the Iraqi children will be personally touched by these good will gestures from America and carry it with them into adulthood; thereby reducing the number of radicals bent on destroying the West. Four, teach American children a little about why it is important to show humanity, here and abroad.
One other question. Was there an orphanage for boys?

To Joanne of Blackwood N.J. I say GREAT IDEA! I would be interested in providing a mother's support to a girl or boy in terms of care and compassion via a pen pal system..how can we overcome the language barrier?

Sharia law DOES allow adoption. For those who say it doesn't, please look into the Hadith and Quran.

This story touched my heart also. My comment is similar to many above. How can one help directly? Is there a point of contact that one could send care packages to? Although you list several groups that offer aid, many Americans have become cynical about donating to charities that they are not familiar with, and I am one of them. When even large well known charities find that donations have not been spent as well as they could have, sometimes the average person wants to help just one person. Unfortunately, this is usually not the most efficient way to provide aid.

Thanks for reairing this on last nights news. Congratulations to NBC. It is the best journalism that has come from Iraq. The orphans have been long ingored. Some help to them should come from this. NBC should support this journalism more often as I think we have our news filtered to the point you could broadcast the same story each day. The soldiers who die-- we never see their funerals, families and who they were. The many injured and in recovery of some sort. The jobs they try to fulfil when they return from war. I am not beyond the realities of this war but I am amazed how we are kept from the truthful, emotional realities. Good for Engle and his crew to get to the real stuff of war.

although this story truly tounched me I must be honest. maybe before we all think of adopting children from iraq and places like that we should take care of our own here. I have been to iraq and I have seen these children and played with these children. I have walked through the red zone and seen how they lived and I have been in the green zone and watched how they look at us. these children are sweet and nice but not all of them are good. I have an interpreters son who is try to get me to adopt him and bring him to the united states and it is almost impossible. but before we concern ourselves to much with them, howw about we take care of our own first. our orphanages are full. I wish these children luck and maybe some day everything will be in a situation where all iraqi's can be trusted and brought over to our wonderful and beautiful country but until then when I go back here in a few months I will take them anything and everything we can and take them what love I am able.

We adopted an orphan from the Viet-Nam-American war. We saved his life but he lost his culture, including his native language. He has returned to Viet-Nam twice as an adult. He cannot communicate with the people there. He has always felt conflicted because the Americans caused many of the children to be orphans and then he was brought to America and told that we (us personally and Americans)saved his life.

Please do not remove these children from their culture and their religion. Also, at some point relatives/extended family may come to claim them.

I saw the piece both times and both times it hit me that these girls were being photographed and they were not wearing head coverings. Are Americans disrespecting their culture by doing this?

Also, I worried that Americans have now singled out this orphanage and put them on TV. Will harm come to them now from the insurgents or whatever we want to call them? Insurgents seem to harm schools, students and teachers when Americans play a part in building them or supplying them. Let's quietly, and without fanfare, help Iraquis help their children. I am concerned that helpful Americans will only bring more harm and sorrow to the Iraqui orphans and Iraqui children in general.

Thank you for providing us several organizations through which we can quietly and namelessly help without inadvertently causing harm to the children.