A WISCONSIN CONGRESSMAN'S REPORT

“Despite all the progress in Baghdad — the obvious commercial activity, construction and bustle — it clearly remains a very dangerous place. Early this morning, the Al Rasheed hotel, which we drove by yesterday and is within two blocks of the Coalition Provisional Authority headquarters perimeter, was hit by multiple rockets.

“Even so, no matter where we go most people here seem genuinely happy to see Americans – you get the sense that it is only a small, dangerous element doing the violence.

“Today we flew to a base in Iraq headed up by the Army’ 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles.” The commanding general there and his men impressed every one of us. In combat, they were the ones who got Saddam Hussein’s sons. In reconstruction, they seem a model for how to do things right.

“The general, who had spent a portion of his career in Bosnia, said we have accomplished more here in six months than they accomplished there in seven years. He said that reconstruction dollars are critical to the security of his troops. With the reconstruction work, he said, ‘we’re not just swatting at the mosquitoes, we’re draining the swamp.’ The entire delegation, Democrat and Republican, was amazed by the reconstruction work we saw.

“Met several Wisconsin soldiers, the highlight of the day. Everyone said how proud they were of what they were doing. One told me, ‘I want to be home with my 1-year-old as much as anyone here, but not if it means leaving their generation to finish this battle.’

They are worried by media accounts of their work and criticism of it. They agreed that ever since the embedded reporters left, the coverage has focused on casualties and not on their remarkable progress – this from a group who have lost brave men from their ranks.

“Many military folks here, both officers and enlisted, said that coverage of the violent opposition in Iraq is far out of proportion. One guy estimated that at least one-third of the violent ‘encounters’ between Iraqis and Americans are really just crimes caused by Saddam Hussein’s release of thousands of criminals from prison before he left power.