Michael Burgess: “I was fortunate enough to be in Iraq at the end of the summer, the last week in August. And during that trip, we talked…”

“I was fortunate enough to be in Iraq at the end of the summer, the last week in August. And during that trip, we talked with General Ricardo Sanchez, who talked to us about the accomplishments that had happened since the end of the major combat phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, essentially 3 months later, the 90 days of progress. During that 90 days, schools had completed their academic year and conducted testing. Ninety percent of the major cities and towns had functioning town councils. At that point, over 50,000 Iraqis were contributing to their own security under uniform, that is either in the Iraqi Army or as border patrols. The prisons were on the verge of reopening. The judicial system was up and functioning. Food distribution was going on without much in the way of any hindrance. In fact, no humanitarian crisis grew as a result of the major combat phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The hospitals, although substandard, remained open and functional. And four and a quarter million children were immunized during those 3 months in the summer.”