 Lawrence J. Korb |
American Progress Senior Fellow Lawrence J. Korb is visiting Iraq on a trip that is a part of the Bush administration’s effort to inform the American people of the progress the U.S. is making in Iraq since the end of major combat. The former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower, Reserve Affairs, Installations and Logistics in the Reagan administration is reporting back every day with his findings on the ground.
Korb interview with the Council on Foreign Relations, November 12, 2003
Day One In Iraq, November 5, 2003
Greetings from Baghdad. We’re part of the Bush administration’s effort to convince the American people of the progress the U.S. is making in Iraq since the end of major combat. The Secretary of Defense has decided to send delegations here to be briefed and exposed to realities on the ground.
Day Two In Iraq, November 6, 2003
After landing in Baghdad, we boarded our armed Blackhawk helicopter for a flight to al Najaf, located 75 miles south of Baghdad on the Tigris River in a predominantly Shiite area. The city is the headquarters of one of the two multinational divisions (MND) in Iraq.
Day Three In Iraq, November 7, 2003
The mood among our group today was quite reserved. Many could not forget the sight of the body bag containing the remains of a young soldier placed in the center aisle of our aircraft on the flight from Baghdad to Kuwait City late last night. All of us were moved by the touching remarks of the clergyman, a member of our delegation, about the young soldier’s sacrifice.
Related Korb columns:
Voluntary No More?, October 29, 2003
The war against Iraq will cause several long-term problems for the nation. Some of these problems are obvious, a growing budget deficit and lasting damage to such long-standing international organizations like the UN and traditional alliances like NATO.
Lawrence J. Korb is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.