I can't believe that there still remain so many people like "Bob" and "Bo", who believe in the Tinkerbell theory of warfare; that the only thing making the war in Iraq difficult is the failure of the American press to clap loud enough. It's lame, it's brainless, and it's a lie. Thanks for telling the truth, Jane. Keep it up.

Another poster has written about how its just too bad that Iraq has to go through this "messy time" because "in the end" it will be ok.

I am sure that talking point is an enormous consolation to all the families who have buried their slain children, brothers, mothers, etc. From all I read it sounds like the civil war in Iraq is bad and getting worse.

The Bush administration was smart enough to take the lid off "pandora's box" in Iraq by deposing Hussien. But they ignored the advice of their own military advisers on the amount of preperation, money and military strategy and manpower it would take to keep the country in order after that.

Sorry the "let's pretend everythings ok" talking point just doesn't cut it anymore. Find a new one.

Jane, it's good to have you back on American TV and reporting truthfully. I worry that the war is not consistently covered in the American media and that is very consequential in a deteriorating situation like the one you describe. American military intervention has placed Iraq under constant terror and we as Americans have to take responsibility for that. Stay safe and please keep posting.

I Just can't help thinking that the time has come for us (The United States) to move on. Please understand: I am a proud American. I always have and always will support our troups. I have family in the military. But it seems that what was once an effort to free a nation from an evil leader and a corrupt government, and to rid the world of another supposed terrorist cell, has turned into a door to door civil war -it's one half of the country fighting the other! As americans, I really wonder if we have a clear picture of who is on what side and who to trust!

I am not a historical expert, but I don't believe we as a country typically get involved in civil wars. I think we need to realize that the initial objective -to rid the world of Sadam, has been accomplished. See to it that his trial is compleated, and justice is served, and then move on and let the country decide for itself where it is going to go and what it is to become.

FREEDOM FREEDOM FREEDOM FREEDOM LIBERTY LIBERTY LIBERTY LIBERTY 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 STAY THE COURSE STAY THE COURSE STAY THE COURSE

AMERICA FIGHTS FOR FREEDOM EVERY WHERE SHE GOES
SHE IS A FORCE OF GOOD THAT BLASTS AWAY ALL FOES

FREEDOM FREEDOM FREEDOM LIBERTY LIBERTY LIBERTY
9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11

SOME SAY THAT AMERICA WILL FALL JUST LIKE ANCIENT ROME
I DO NOT KNOW WHY I WOULD REPEAT THAT IN THIS POEM

9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 LIBERTY FREEDOM LIBERTY

I BELIEVE IN THAT WAR IS PEACE AND GOD IS OUR AGENDA
I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN MY GOVERNMENT'S PROPAGANDA

FREEDOM LIBERTY FREEDOM LIBERTY 9/11 9/11 9/11

Thanks, Ms. Arraf, for letting us know the reality of what's going on in Iraq.

Now I understand that many of us would like to hear about "the good things" happening, and about "ordinary life" in Iraq. Well, I think the media's done plenty of coverage on those aspects already. The unfortunate reality is that there's a nasty war that's occurring, and many people are dying. Iraqi civilians are dying, as well as our brave troops.

Thanks for bringing that reality back to us... Hopefully we'll take this to heart, and not make the same mistakes and fight another misguided war.

Jane,
The only thing the Administration is doing wrong regarding this war is in not making a crater out of the entire region. The Middle Eastern moslem nations have always been and will always be a tiresome thorn in the side of the rest of the world. They don't deserve to live like we do in America, because they would rather cling to their insane, warped religion and live like it is still the 2nd century.

I am disgusted and ashamed of what our govenment has done in Iraq. Shock & Awe is coming to the congress on Nov 7th and then we can change our direction in Iraq and begin to fix this mess we've created.

That's wonderful that the military works with farmer co-ops, or attempts to secure the streets so kids can go to schools, be they freshly painted or not...but 60 bodies showing up in Baghdad, plus the car bombings, plus the violence perpetrated by the various militias, plus the lack of basic services like plumbing and electricity aren't mere inconveniences. It seems as if the military might want to consider stopping the violence as priority one...and if the schools have to wait to be painted, well, so be it: I doubt seriously anyone who's lost a family member recently is all that concerned with whether a school--or even a morgue--has a fresh coat of latex.

I also no longer trust this administration: living near the Gulf Coast I thankfully wasn't affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita (or the New Orleans flood that resulted from poorly designed and maintained levees)...but I've witnessed first-hand the difference between administration rhetoric and reality. If they're willing to lie about something that happened here in the US, I don't doubt for a second they'll lie about Mesopotamia.

Jane, why even bother staying in Iraq if you never leave your home. I can do just as well reporting from my bedroom in the U.S. The thing that all of you empty headed whiners don't understand is that the situation will get far, far worse if we leave. We will have civil war, not caused by the Americans but by the peace loving Sunnis and Shiites. Iran will expand their influence and then threaten Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Those horrible occurences of which you blog will become fivefold and tenfold and more. Your overwhelming compassion of bringing our boys home will doom millions to unwanted death. The Middle East is a pisshole of ignorant death worshiping sects. It would be nice to leave it alone, but we cannot. I don't care if it is for compassion for the children or a sane persons understanding of the world economy's need for oil, but we would have to go back in within a year or two if we pulled out. This is the constant problem with reporters is they do not have enough intelligence or understanding of the effect of their reporting to report accurately or beneficially for our country. I suspect you all want Iran to get a nuclear bomb for their peacefull ambitions. Pull your collective heads out and educate yourself on the world we live in.

More on Bob from Jane Arraf who had an e-mail exchange with him:

I now know a few more things about Bob.

He does exist, apparently is in Baghdad, and like the vast majority of Americans over here is really well-meaning. He realizes that many of the Iraqis he deals with have horrific lives and he admires them for persevering. He does not admire the media. Somewhere along the way, presenting the reality that we go to great lengths and great risk to see has become confused with being disloyal.

More later....

Someone please tell me what the alternative is. Should we pull out and let Iran take over and kill millions of Sunnis? Should we let Iran get a nuclear bomb and threaten Kuwait and Saudi Arabia? Everything that is bad in Iraq would become many times worse if we left, and eventually we would have to return to a much broader conflict. Just because something is bad does not mean it cannot become substantially worse. Please offer suggestions rather that empty headed rants.

Just a note. If 60 bodies show up in Iraq, consider this.

The US is approx. 10 times the population size as Iraq. So, instead of 60 bodies showing up on the streets of NYC, how about 600?

Think that might get some attention?

The Washington DC sniper killed ten people over the course of a month or so. People were, at least if you believe the news, "terrified."

What, ten people in a month? On a per-capita basis, Iraq gets that many before you get done with breakfast in the morning.

Lets consider that the most conservative numbers list around 45,000 people dead in Iraq. (http://www.iraqbodycount.org/)

To put that in perspective, we'd have to have a minimum 450,000 dead in the US. That's about the total population of Portland Oregon.

You think we might hear if the equivalent population of Portland Oregon was killed from car bombs, torture and mayhem here in the US?

Things in Iraq are horrible, simply unimaginable for anyone living here in the US. We haven't got a clue.

It's no secret that most of the insurgent activity has moved to Baghdad in recent months. Let's not act like this has been going on since the war started. And what we are seeing here is an increase in sectarian violence, not attacks against our troops. News flash kids...that was going on at levels ten times higher than before we invaded....and will continue after we leave. You see these folks are quite passionate when it comes to their religion. Much like you all have a passion for blaming the US President for everything that is wrong with the world.

Jane, if you were a quality reporter you would give the news with out your bias and without using adjectives. Most reporters have become commentators and pretend not to have a bias. Now that you are a commentator, Jane, what is the solution? Other that spewing anti-American tripe what would you change to make life better for the Iraqis? Do you also want to condemn them to mass death? Provide some context to your reporting that considers the effects of withdrawing from Iraq. Please just spend ten minutes considering the implications of your bias and thoughts.

Bush believes history will relegate all the death and destruction he's caused to the books alongside all the other stuff we read in history class -- the battle of this, the war of that, and no one will really care. Of course we'd all like him to suffer for what he's done, but don't hold your breath. He's in a bubble in every meaningful way you can think of. What we need to do is STOP the killing!

Charlotte, If you mean my little corner of it, consist of two nephews just getting back from Iraq, one from his second tour. Or maybe my little corner of it is that one is going back for his second tour soon. Or maybe my little corner of it is listen to my sister-in-law anguish over her sons. Yes, there are some good things going on in Iraq, but taken in total we invaded and ruined the country of Iraq.

It would be my guess that there are some good things going on in Iraq, however these things are overshadowed by the level of "bad" things that are going on.

Things like the school system breaking down:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1887804,00.html

This is not a "small" thing that can be set aside because we have painted a school, the fact is that the whole fabric of Iraq is falling apart, and yes, that is a story. The "good" things that are being done are NOT resolving the basic issue, how to stop the civil war that is raging right now.

There is also this story from MSNBC about the booksellers in Baghdad:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14870509/

And so many more stories that go to the very heart of the issue. Should our media report on the number of hospitals that have been painted? Should our media then ignore the story that those who go to the hopitals are being tortured and killed?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/04/eveningnews/main2064668.shtml

If there were "good" things going on, things that actually were a sign that the situation in Iraq had turned around, the media, ESPECIALLY FOX, would report those stories. The lack of those stories are not due to the media ignoring all the "good" things, it is due to the harsh reality of the civil war that is raging in Iraq.

In September there was 1579 deaths of Iraqi civilians and Iraqi police/military based on an independent human right group icasualties.org. In July there was 1280 and August 1203 according to the same group. According to this group they get their numbers from the morgue and police throughout Iraq but somehow the Drive-By media picked up on the so-called UN report that said there is an average of 120 dead a day and ran with it. How do you reconsile such a difference in numbers? If you want blood and guts reporting than you could probably get some action in South Central LA and maybe just as good as Iraq.

George Bush and his crowd have lied and betrayed the American people And the Iraqi people. They need to go!!!

i pray for peace worldwide especially IRAQ

It is time to catch the big picture.
Since second world war Saudi Arabia has been a defacto dictatorial kingdom under US military protection. They got the oil, it is understandable. This, along with the ruthless Palestine occupation is a festering sore spewing out anti-American hatred. Couple this with the revengeful landgrab for oil in Iraq plus Abu Ghraib and you need divine radical thinking to get resolution. There are no solutions unless the occupations end. Sucide bombers and death squads are simply effective warfare, they will gnaw at the American presence for as long as it takes, don't kid yourself. Do you want peace or World War 4? Al Gore and Queen Noor in 2008. They are the only ones who got enough soul to possibly pull America out of this mess. Sex scandals and self-serving greed is not the true agenda, snap out of it.

I just got done reading a book called "Babylon by Bus." It accounts the story of two americans who decided they wanted to go to Baghdad as a way to get away. They set up an NGO, I presume "non-governmental organization" and leave the green zone to help Iraqis. They watch the continuous deterioation of the city and ultimately leave. There is a definite left wing tilt to the store line, but in essence tells a store about our inability to change things in Iraq. Bottom line, our men should not be acting as policemen with all the sectarian violence occurring on a daily basis.

So all the 'good things' that the Bush-supporters want to hear about in the news are merely our attempts to fix all the stuff we broke about 3 years ago when we attacked Iraq.

Wow, that is such great news! We've finally built 22% of the schools we destroyed! Give us a cookie! Please you clowns got suckered by Bush and you need to accept that you made a mistake and take a realistic look. Stop defending your past mistakes so strongly....you look foolish.

Oh yeah...how's the electricity? I hear you get about 4 hours a day in Baghdad...wow! How come we don't hear such great news from the media? Maybe because before the invasion the electricity worked 24 hours a day.

Don't do a quarter-arsed job of cleaning up your mess and then demand to be praised by the news.

Democracy is a stupid goal in Iraq. A look around the world reveals that the only armies to have any success, since WWII, are those who fight for conquest. Like the Romans, and the barbarians who followed, the only tactical gains of my lifetime have been made by the North Vietnamese, the Khmer Rouge, Serbians, Hutus, and now the Islamic Courts in Somalia. Kill or subjugate, that is a winning formula. Enlightenment and democratization are failed idealistic folly.

But we are in Iraq now. The real question is whether more social benefit would be inured in a slow-burn type civil war vs. an American pull out followed by an all out slug-fest. I dont' have a monopoly on defining what social benefit is, nor do I know which is best. Unlike the new Baghdad Bob, who Jane Arraf artfully undresses in this article, I see only pandemonium in Baghdad. So I ask, How many Americans will die before future events prove this paradigm. I am betting that many more will die needlessly. Then, in the ensuing chaos, America will grant citizenship to tens of thousands of Iraqis who flee that chaos. Bitter irony that Americas died so that Iraqis could invade the U.S. Perhaps then they can teach us their style of governance and their value system...eye for an eye...