"WELCOME TO A NEW IRAQ"

“No matter what happens in the future,” said Lt. Col. Jim Berenz, the brigade operations officer, “they will always remember when the Americans were here. The impact is more than immediate. It is everlasting.”

Berenz seemed genuinely moved when a bouquet of flowers was placed in his arms as he entered the school to chants from children dressed especially nice for the special occasion.

“Welcome, welcome to our friends. Welcome to a new Iraq,” they sang again and again in their language while many waved homemade Iraqi flags.

The Colonel is right. Here in Europe there are thousands of private citizens among the German, Belgians, Dutch and French citizenry who recall and honor to this day their liberation by the Allies, especially the USA. And more than a few have been quoted (some here) saying that the politics of the present do not reflect their love for the Americans.