This is not to blame America or American Soldiers. No one on this Earth has done or is doing a better job at solving humanitarian issues than our military. No one! Our governement is doing the best they can, but I think some of our methods should be adjusted or reconsidered. We'll learn as we go and, hopefully, learn from our mistakes. Anyone based in reality knows improvements aren't going to happen overnight. If bringing this up makes me a Liberal, who likes America, doesn't blame America for the world's problems, and knows America is the one country who actually does something to solve the world's problems. The concern I have about this doesn't mean I'm Liberal, it means I'm human. Among all the 'OOH-RAH' and 'GIT SOME' and 'BOMB ALL THE MUSLIMS' and other forms of cheerleading, there is a very serious human rights crisis happening and things should be put into proper perspective.

Rising to the humanitarian challenge in Iraq



The following is my biggest concern. How can Iraq rebuild when the ones who know how to rebuild and train and educate and serve medical needs are no longer there? These are the professionals. We need to make this a number one priority to get them back. Those people who say 'they should just be tough, strong men and are cowards for leaving", I'd like to see what those people would do under these same circumstances. How many Americans have experienced kidnapping and torture or witnessed his family be murdered just because he's a doctor? They are leaving because they are targets.


There is a great opportunity here for America to show the world our moral superiority, but we're not doing it. I don't think it's because we don't care, I think it's because we don't know what to do. Of the 2,000,000 refuges,we have only accepted 800 into our country. 800.

The humanitarian crisis will abate once the terrorist thugs are brought to bear. Until then, the military is not designed to handle humanitarian aid campaigns. That is a job for civilians, and until Iraq is safe enough for more civilians to go and help out, refugees will continue to pour out of the country trying to find stability in their lives. We must be patient.

Well.. there's also the problem of some form of infrastructure or ... government. Iraq has a lot more hurdles to overcome before the humanitarian crisis even slows down.

KenRI, I think we agree about this. It's not liberal or conservative to be humnitarian; it's human and humane to care about suffering people. I read that the largest number of refugees in the world are Iraqis; they probably also have the largest number of internally placed people still in their country.

Does little old me dare to propose a solution? Heck, it isn't safe even in Afghanistan for Korean Christians and pastors to do relief work there! Did you see "Hotel Rwanda," where even the UN Peacekeepers were unable to keep peace, and that's what they do best (when they aren't raping little girls, of course. Until the war about terrorism ends in Iraq, very little can be done. Maybe Pope Benedict and Dr. Billy Graham would lead 98,000 devout Christians to go over there and help...

I agree with the majority here. Until there is physical security there will be little in the way of improvements. This is not to say that what has been done is insignificant but to say as you do that it is less than adequate to maintain steady improvement. After physical security is strengthened then I believe the US will do what it usually does and put the lions share of the rebuilding effort into the country. Unfortunately as is with many Asian countries corruption is rampant and will be a problem to the rebuilding process.