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What is the good news out of Iraq?

There are at least 10 important points to emphasize through 2003 (more from 2004 and 2005 are below)

--the "major combat" of the war lasted shorter the most suspected, 
--there were fewer Americans killed than many predicted, 
--Hussein did not use any WMD, 
--few oil wells were set on fire by Iraqi troops,
--the brutal Hussein is out of power,
--a free press has emerged in Iraq,
--the prediction of millions of refugees did not materialize 
--sanctions were lifted in late-May, 2003
--the capture of Saddam Hussein on December 13 (see PS FAQ #11 for details)
--a new, interim Constitution

After the killing of Hussein's sons on July 22, 2003, the lead Washington Post editorial is entitled, "A Good Day in Iraq.", the Post story on Bremer's view on progress. and the Post op-ed on long-term perspective--"We're Doing Fine" . Paul Wolfowitz writes an op-ed for the Post  on July 28, upon returning from Iraq, "Roots of hope in a realm of fear."  The Times William Safire criticized "The swelling chorus of handwringing failuremongers" in early September.  "The impression is being marketed that the rebuilding of Iraq is a colossal flop...that a cabal of neocon hawks manipulated President Bush into war.  So goes the failuremongers' pitch.  Their purpose, beyond justification of their decade of appeasement, is to case as both ignoble and doomed this most necessary long-term counter to stat-sponsored and fanaticism-driven terror."  Safire concludes that success will be sped by examine evidence of progress "toward a peaceful , prosperous, pluralistic Iraq led by the liberators, not the obstructionists." 

On the same day were the stories of Private Jessica Lynch's joyful homecoming.  For Lynch details, see "Combat" FAQ

In late August, after the major bombings at the Baghdad UN and the Najaf mosque, a new Iraqi cabinet was appointed, to be in charge of various non-security areas of governing.  Also see "Should We Go To War?" FAQs for pros and cons pre-war. 

In mid-September Colin Powell visited Iraq and "praised progress" being made. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A7923-2003Sep14?language=printer

"Renewal in Iraq" is the official White House web site on post-war Iraq. In September the sub-title was "100 days of progress in Iraq."  http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/

On November 6, 2003 the President's speech broadened the goals in Iraq to other countries in the Middle East, as he urged the spread of Democratic reforms in Iraq as well as traditional American allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.  He also included Iran and Syria on his list of those countries needing political change.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10003-2003Nov6.html

Congress worked to pass sanctions against Syria, which the President finally agreed to. 

Over Thanksgiving, the President made a surprise trip to Baghdad, greeting cheering soldiers. 

In early 2004 we learned of a raid which successfully gathered numerous weapons, including many of the shoulder held weapons likely responsible for the downing of 5 U.S. helicopters.

William Safire of the New York Times was pleased with the situation in Iraq and the Middle East, as he expressed in "Spinning Into Control" (1/12/04).  "The strategic reasons for crushing Saddam was to reverse the tide of global terror that incubated in the Middle East.  Is our pre-emptive policy working?  Was the message sent by ousting the Baathists as well as the Taliban worth the cost?  Set aside the tens of thousand of lives saved each year by ending Saddam's sustained murder of Iraqi Shia and Kurds, which is of little concern to human rights activists.  Consider only self-defense:  the practical impact of American action on the spread of dangerous weaponry in antidemocratic hands."  Safire points to the good news from Qaddafi's Libya, Afghanistan's new constitution, Syria negotiating with Israel, Arafat isolated on the West Bank, and Iran and North Korea allowing nuclear facilities to be inspected,  In Iraq, "where casualties in Baghdad could be compared to civilian losses to everyday violence in New York and Los Angeles, a rudimentary federal republic is forming itself with all the customary growing pains."  Safire concludes, "...What we have been doing is strategically sound as well as morally right.".  

For details on Iraq's new interim Constitution, approved by the Iraqi Governing Council, see "Democracy" FAQ.

On the one year anniversary of the start of the war, President Bush spoke of continuing the greater fight.  "There is no neutral ground...in the fight between civilization and terror, because there is not neutral ground between good and evil, freedom and slavery and life and death...For [the terrorists], the connection between Iraq' future and the course of the war on terror is very clear; They understand that a free Iraq will be a devastating setback to their ambitions of tyranny over the Middle East" (NYTimes, 3/20/04). 

In late March Paul Bremer marked the 100 days until the U.S. occupation officially ends on June 30.  Bremer's speech (Chicago Tribune, 3/25/04) focused on the rehab of 2500 schools, electricity supply and phone availability better than before the war, and 200,000 Iraqis serving in the security forces.

In April President Bush spoke optimistically in his press conference.  He is determined to "stay the course" to "win the war on terrorism" and again laid out the timetable of elections toward democracy.  After the June 30 turn over of political power, elections for a national assembly are scheduled no later than January 2005.

The potential good news in May, 2004 was dwarfed by the Abu Ghraib prison torture.  However, by mid-May, there were signs that Shiite leader Sadr was not popular among Shiites and Shiite leaders.

Another positive idea on the prison scandal is the our freedom of press makes an investigation possible.  These crimes would never have been investigated under Saddam.  Our government is open to criticism and debate is allowed.

Some good news came again in August when an assembly was appointed that would lead to 2005 elections.

In November 2004, 80% of Iraq's debt was forgiven, totally nearly $39 billion.  The New York Times calls this "a critical step in rebuilding the country's devastated economy and an important precedent for its other creditors [Saudi Arabia, Kuwait] to follow."  The countries forgiving the debt included US, France, Germany, Japan, and Russia. 

The Post reported potential good news, as US troops try to win over Iraqis with kindness.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A33544-2004Dec3?language=printer

Also early in December David Ignatius put a positive spin on the effort of 1000 truckers every day bringing supplies into Iraq from Kuwait. His "To Keep The Trucks Moving" concludes, "War is about breaking the enemy's will and imposing your own.  America's success in managing logistics won't win the Iraq war, but it has allowed the US to stay in the fight.  We've seen so many mistakes in the Iraq war that it's nice to see something America is doing right." 

Kathleen Parker, syndicated by The Chicago Tribune, examines for "Freedom's spirit takes root in Iraq" (12/15/04).  She feels the good news in Iraq is not getting enough coverage.  Bad news sells papers and violence helps TV ratings.  Quoting from two dentists who have come to the U.S., Parker writes, "'Iraqis are grateful for...the liberation of Iraq.  They feel like they are not alone in their struggle.'"

Having lived "in the dark" for 35 years of Baath Party rule, they proclaim, "'I am free and I am enjoying my freedom.'  Parker continues, "Freedom is something American take for granted, but it's a new concept for Iraqis, a majority of whom have known life only under a despot....Men may yearn to be free, as Bush often puts it, but a populace accustomed to a nanny state, particularly one so malevolent, needs time to mature before embracing full autonomy...Many Iraqis expected coalition forces to do everything for them."  After looking at new schools and new municipal council buildings, Parker concludes, "They're the first stirrings of a newly birthed nation imbued with the soul of democracy.  in an Iraq of mass graves, suicide bombings and terrorists, that's big news."

The Kurds self-rule was featured in the New York Times at the end of 2004.  Kurdish areas of northern Iraq are relatively stable and secure, with the exception of suicide bombs attacks on Feb. 1, 2004.  due to Kurdish police officers and militiamen. The pesh merga forces number 80,000.   "Reconstruction projects, lagging in many parts of the country, are moving briskly ahead.

Other good news emphasized by some in the spring and early summer of 2005:
--Judges at work
--Ports opening
--Numbers of insurgents killed

In mid-March Donald Rumsfeld sought to focus on successes:  "We have 25 million Iraqis that are freed. The economy is coming back.  The dinar is strong.  The schools are open.  The hospitals are open. They had a successful election.  The Iraqi security forces are increasingly taking responsibility."

For details on the January 30 elections, see Post-Election Politics.

During the summer of 2005, good news included an donor pledges from an international conference for aid and debt relief.  The group, meeting in Brussels in late June, also wants Iraqi leaders to reach out to disaffected minorities in the country. 

Also from the summer a top insurgent commander was captured in mid-July.  Khamis Farhan Khalaf Abd al-Fahdawi is suspected of involvement in the abduction and killing of the Egyptian diplomat and "in drive by shootings that failed to kill senior diplomats from Pakistan and Bahrain."

Good news from the fall of 2005 tended to focus on the political progress, including a Constitution and elections of December 15. 

In some cases the good news that Iraqis were reading about wasn't necessarily all that good.  Two weeks before the elections we learned that the US military was planting optimistic stories in the Iraqi press, even paying bribes to get certain stories published.  The US paid large contracts to The Lincoln Group.  This news was an embarrassing situation, given that Secretary Rumsfeld loves to taut the growing Iraqi free press. General Pace promised an investigation. In the fall of 2006, the Lincoln Group received a new contract for similar work.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/30/AR2005113001876_pf.html

The Pentagon defended its practice as "trying to get the truth out."  Republican Senator Warner defended and criticized the policy.  Admitting that it is "a serious problem" that the independence of the Iraqi media might be eroded, he also said, "We have no recourse but to try and do some rebuttal information."  Gen. Pace added, "We want to get the facts out." 

Stronger critics than Warner included Senator Kennedy who sees the program as a scheme that "speaks volumes about the president's credibility gap.  If Americans were truly welcome in Iraq as liberators, we wouldn't have to doctor the news for the Iraqi people." 

When former employees of the Lincoln Group started to come forward, the story became more clear.  Despite early Pentagon claims that the stories or adds were supposed to acknowledge the US military role, Lincoln was told to be sure the stories did not come from the Pentagon. 

One Lincoln contract was for $20 million over just two months in Anbar, with more than $16 million spent on TV ads.   It was described as "unnecessarily costly, poorly run and largely ineffective at improving America's image in Iraq," according to the Tribune. 

In March 2006 the Pentagon determined that the Lincoln Group had not violated military policy. Molly Ivins responded with tongue in cheek:  "The Pentagon has once again investigated itself!  And--have a seat, get the smelling salts...The Pentagon has once again concluded that it did absolutely nothing wrong and will continue to do so...Amusingly enough, through other programs, the US government also is spending money trying to teach Iraqis about the importance of a free press in a democracy".  

The Lincoln propaganda story resurfaced in late October 2006 when the Pentagon audit determined that no laws were violated. There was no "covert action." However, the Pentagon found that military officials did not properly supervise the program. With the contract expired, there would be no repercussions.

Sometimes the bad stories turned out to be good or so it seems. The story from August 2007 was of The Baghdad Diarist, a US soldier writing anolymously for The New Republic. Private Beauchamp told negative stories told of soldiers mistreated and humiliating Iraqi civilians. However, The Weekly Standard claimed that his stories were false and fabricated and that he signed a statement saying so, while the New Republic stuck to their stories.

In April 2008 it was reported by the Times that the Pentagon had been giving special information and privileges to retired military so they could be pro-Pentagon in their reports as "experts" to the media.

"Though the broader Middle East has no history of democracy, this is not an excuse for doing nothing.  If every action required a precedent, there would be no firsts ...Implicit within the goals of our statecraft are the limits of our power and the reasons for our humility.  Unlike tyranny, democracy by its very nature is never imposed.  Citizens of conviction must choose it--and not just in one election."  Just in the past year progress toward democracy has been made in Lebanon, (end foreign occupation), the Palestinian Authority (elections), Egypt (multi-party elections), and Kuwait (women are full citizens).  "And, of course, an Iraq that in the face of a horrific insurgency has held historic elections, drafted and ratified a new national chart, and will go to the polls...to elect a new constitutional government." Rice concludes, "But I have an abiding confidence that we will have laid a firm foundation of principle--a foundation on which future generations will realize our nation's vision of a fully free, democratic and peaceful world." 

Outside of the three elections of 2005, good news of 2006 was hard to come by.  Iraqi police no longer wear masks to hide their identity, as they did earlier. The notoriously unsafe road to the airport become quiet in early 2006. 

Asked in April 2006 about their feelings toward the future of Iraq, 23-34% of Americans (polls vary) expect the situation to get better.  The Iraqi stock exchange opened in June 2004 and lists 94 companies.  By April 2006, many stocks were in a free fall.

Zarqawi was killed in July 2006. Also see "Violence 2005-2006" and the new "PZ Violence" (Post-Zarqawi). The final positions of the cabinet were named the same day.

President Bush traveled to Baghdad in a surprise visit to highlight what he considered these twin good news developments. Thirdly, it was announce that Karl Rove would not be indicted. See "WMD/Wilson/CIA" for details on this story of politics and intrigue. Could mid-June be a turning point in the war?

Good news in late September was a leading al Qaeda figure being killed in Iraq. Omar al-Faruq had escaped prison in Afghanistan following his 2002 arrest in Indonesia

In December a third Iraqi province was turned over to Iraqi forces. Najaf is home to nearly 1 million Iraqis. Jubiliant Iraqis bit off the heads of frogs, slit the belly of a rabbit, and ate it. "The carcass was then passed around to the rest of the soldiers, who took their own bites." Saddam's Fedayeen militia had similar practices, doing these acts to live snakes and wolves.

Also in December one manhunt was successful as the man suspected of killing two Americans. His name was not released. Another potentially piece of good news for some was the hanging of Saddam Hussein.

Dick Cheney continued to be a cheerleader for the won in early 2007. He was one of the few left who felt that "We have had great successes in Iraq."

Ramadi was becoming safer in February of 2007. In an NPR report on Ramadi US soldiers and local sheiks are allying more against al Qaeda in Anbar province. More students are attending schools and seem happy that the US troops are back in the city.

The marshes drained by Saddam were making a comeback, as reported in Feb. 2007. Up to now 40% of their original size, some parts are flourishing.

With Bush's "surge" underway for a few weeks, columnist Robert Kagan deemed the surge of "success" in his mid-March Post commentary. He feels that the press has been too negative about events in Iraq. A few days later General Patraeus echoed these thought in a BBC interview (3/18/07) on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the war. He is "guardedly optimistic" by the lessening of sectarian murders in Baghdad one month after the surge began. By some counts, murders in Baghdad decreased in that month from 1400 to 300. US foot patrols were returning to Baghad and there was some cooperation with the Mahdi Army. Are insurgents just lying low, waiting for the US to leave? The General also pointed out that hundreds of Iraqis were returning to their homes in Baghdad. The Iraqi government reported that about 2000 families had returned to their homes in the capital. This figure is open to question. They are paid "hefty" $200 upon return, to help cover moving and any damage. Further, the Iraqi goverment seemed again to be overly optimistic about death statistics.

In March in Baghdad, mass kidnappings are agreed be various sources to be down. Some shopping districts have come back to life. Some Sunnis are pleased with the new US forces, as Shiite death squads have lessoned. An amusement park is planned for Sadr City. The reports in April and May were less positive.

Iraqi debt would be forgiven by Saudi Arabia, we learned in April 2007. The Sunni country would forgive 80% of Iraq debt. The Iraqi government is dominated by Shiites.

Good news in the summer of 2007 was hard to come by. Some Sunnis were turning against al Qaeda forces. But, as often as not, the good news came with bad news. For example, when the Iraq soccer team won the Asia Cup, seeming to unite the country, with its name "The Lions of the Two Rivers." An Iraqi in Dearborn, Michigan proclaimed, "It's not just soccer. It's a step toward ending terrorism. Yet, celebratory gunfire killed four and wounded scores more. After their semifinal win, a bomb attack killed 50. The team players do not practice in Iraq, and have not had a home game for 17 years.

The USA Today highlighted Iraqis businessmen "launching their dreams" in early August. The Iraqi-American chamber of commerce allows them to apply for grants to pay up to half of what is needed to start of business.

The alleged mastermind of the al Qaeda in Iraq Samarra bombing of 2006 was killed by the US military, it was announced in August.

"Good news, bad news and few clear signals" headlined the Times of August 2. There aren't headlines such as "US troops reach Berlin" as in World War II. Both sides present evidence to help their argument. Is is American deaths? Iraqi deaths? Number of Iraqi troops? A new Constitution?

As August 2007 drew to a close and we approached the Petraeus report, there were more frequent positive reports. Violence is reported to have fallen in Fallujah, in a front page Times story. West of Baghdad, Sunnis are now more often fighting against militias and al Qaeda. In addition, there is a vehicle ban in Fallujah. There is a plan to start withdrawal from Anbar in the spring of 2008, but only if the Iraqi police step up.

An American University was set to open in Kurdistan. The New York Times reported in early September of the plans in northern Iraq, to model universities in Beirut and Cairo, founded in 1866 and 1919. Beirut University was founded by American missionaries. The groundbreaking occurred on August 31, 2007, for the university that could be "a symbol of positive change". With an American chancellor, undergrad classes of up to 50 students are set to begin in October. Business skills will be emphasized and classes will be in English at the Sulaimaniya campus. With a cost of $10,000, well out of range of the average Iraq, scholarships will be available. Iraqi colleges are free. Commented Johns Hopkins professor of Middle East, Fouad Ajami, "American's greatest exports are Hollywood and higher education."

The Good News on violence came with September and Ramadan death totals. Ramadan of 2007 was far lower, according to most estimates, than the previous year. It became clear to most that by late October violence was down from previous record levels. Fewer US troops were being killed. When only 21 bodies showed up at the Baghdad morgue, a spokesman for the morgue called it "a good day."

Partly due to this lack of violence, US forces turned over security to Iraqis in another area in late October. Karbala, the center of Shiite population, became the 8th province. The others are in northern Kurdistan or other Shiite, southern areas.

US military officials expressed optimism the week in mid-November that 2007 became the deadliest year for Americans. Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia has been routed from all of Baghdad so US troops can leave as planned. 13% of the city has not been "cleared." Said one top official, "Murder victims are down 80%" from the peak and IED attacks are down 70%. He attributed these positive signs to four factors: improvement in Iraqi security forces, Sadr's cease fire, disruption of insurgent financing, and Iraqi's rejection of "rule of the gun."

One old Baghdad neighborhood was the topic of a front page Times piece in mid-November. "Old Bonds Defy War" examines Bab Al Sheik, a neighborhood of relative peace which dates from the days of Abbasid princes over 1000 years ago. Blessed with generations of inter-marriage and trickle down oil wealth since the 1970s, this community of narrow, winding streets, has moderate religious leaders. One Shiite imam is the 7th generation of his family to live in Bab Al Sheik.

The media covered more "good news" stories in October and November of 2007, as violence in Baghdad was reported to be decreasing. For example, Maliki feel Baghdad is "turning the corner" with a decrease in suicide attacks and other bombings. "This is an indication that sectarianism intended as a gate of evil and fire in Iraq is now closed." On the east bank of the Tigris, seafood restaurants and an art gallery are now open.

Also see "PZ Violence 2006-2007."

"Life returns to Baghdad's streets as violence falls" was the front page Tribune article of November 18, as this story was emphasized throughout the month. Liz Sly reports that residents start "recalling what normalcy is like...No longer do the streets empty at dusk. Liquor stores and cinemas have reopened for business. Some shops stay open until late into the evening Children, play in parks, young women stay out after dark, restaruants are filled with families and old men sit at sidewalk cafes playing backgammon and smoking shisha pipes. To be sure," Sly continues, "Baghdad is still a violent and dangerous place" with al Qaeda, explosions and criminals. But windows no longer need replacing. Said one Sunni leader, "First we thank God, and then we thank the Americans. But the politicians have played no part in this."

Just before 2007 Christmas, we saw the Tribune cover the story of a GI helping his wife in Naperville, IL give birth by videoconference. He could watch and talk to her.

The Parliament finally passed a de-Baathification bill in early January 2008. "US Benchmark is met," declared the Times in their lead story from page 1. The two other laws involved future elections and a budget. All three major groups could claim victory. Reconciliation was helped. The pill was in the details. See "Iraq Politics" for more details and the negative side of the bill.

Taking a long-term view was the mid-February editorial of the Tribune, "Iraq's breakthrough." The Chicago paper focuses on politics in Iraq and the US, asking Democrats to admit to positive developments. Violence has "plummeted and streams of emigres" are retuning to Baghdad." (For details on how many are returning see "Life Better for Iraqis" FAQ). And Iraq's political leaders "finally held up their end of the bargain...That's huge progress. Yes, there's still much to do." But the paper feels that one wouldn't know there was significant change by listening to Clinton, Obama, or Congressional leaders. Pelosi declared the surge "a failure." Obama and Clinton "have grudgingly acknowledged a glint of progress. But they've programmed their Iraq comments in a way that suggests they haven't read a headline in a year." Democrats need to be talking about "how to leave Iraq when it is a stable Iraq. That also means McCain will have to acknowledge the enormous costs of this war." The Sunni reversal in alliances "certainly has been a key reason--perhaps the key reason--the surge has worked." Also see "Editorials Post War"

Sadr, out of the headlines in early 2008, would not say if his 6 month truce would be extended past its expiration of late February. By later in the month, he annoucned an extension of the cease-fire for six months. One hopes this would lead to less violence.

The Iraqi economy took a step forward in February 2008 with a business convention in Baghdad. 260 companies showed up with tight security, including 10 checkpoints. Liz Sly reported for the Tribune that 2008 has been declared "The Year of Reconstruction."

In the Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, Admiral Mullen saw commerce "blooming" during his March visit.

For about two weeks in late February and early March 2008, there were no Americans killed, according to Scott Simon of NPR. Sadly, the changed the day after I typed these words. (See "Deaths" FAQ section and/or "PZ Violence" section)

Many Kurds feel better off without Saddam. In March 2008, they commemorated the 20th anniversary of the gas attacks by Saddam.

The New York Times broke a long-term investigation with its April 20 headline, "Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon's Hidden Hand." The lengthy story, picked up by other outlets, looks at how the Pentagon sponsored and paid former military leaders to speak positively with "good news" stories about the war and about Gitmo. "Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war polices they are asked to assess on air. Those business relationships are hardly ever disclosed to the viewers, and sometimes not even to the networks themselves."

One of the best news stories of the summer or early fall was the handover of Anbar to the Iraqis. The early September ceremony was a pleasant surprise to those who saw the violence of Fallujah and Ramadi in the years past. One note of caution was the conflict between the Sunnis of Anbar and the Shiite-dominated central government of Baghdad. American troops remain in Anbar, the large western region of the country.

"Anbar, at peace" was the lead editorial of the Chicago Tribune. More than 1100 US troops died in Anbar, especially in Fallujah in 2004. Now, "Anbar is at peace. The pacification of Iraq is gathering force with astonishing swiftness."

"At first, I didn't recognize the place," writes Dexter Finkins in his front page Baghdad analysis of the Times "Week in Review" (9/21/08). He had left Baghdad two years ago when "the nation's social fabric seemed to shredded to ever come together again. The very worst had lost its power to shock,. To return now is to be jarred in the oddest way possible: by the normal, by the pleasant, even by hope. The questions are jarring, too. Is it really different now? Is this something like peace or victory? And, if so, for whom: the American or the Iraqis." He goes on to suggest that the peace may be "fragile and reversible" as Iraqi politics "remains frozen in sectarian stalemate." Also see a review of Filkins book at VideosBooksCartoons.

Some of the walls of Baghdad started coming down in October 2008. The front page Times article was cautiously optimistic.

The next month the bridge on which 1000 were killed was re-opened, making top news in the Times.

The occasional Op-Chart in the Times compares progress/deaths/electricity with the past. So, in December 2008, they compared the Nov. 2008 data with Nov. 2006 and Nov. 2004. Way down from two years ago is Iraqi civilian deaths (currently 500/month), civilians displaced, number of Iraqi security forces, US deaths, number of "sons of Iraq", electricity production, and "political progress." On the down side, violence and bombings still are common, and unemployment is higher than during the US depression of the '30s, at 30%. Iraq has "settled into a kind of violent semi-peace" and the population is better protected thanks to the Petra strategy. "Quality of life for most Iraqis has improved only modestly." The op-chart authors conclude that for all the progress there are still at least three "big challenges: agreements on how to share oil ...determining the future status of Kirkuk" and other places; and "the resettlement of four million people."

January 2009 was the least deadly month for Americans since the war began, nearly six years ago. Four Americans died, but hundreds of Iraqis, all in one day.

In December 2009 no Americans died in combat, for the first time since the war began. Three Americans died in non-combat roles.

Gardens began to return to Baghdad in 2009. After all, Iraq was the location for one of the ancient wonders of the world, the Hanging Garden of Babylon. In the 1970s Mr. Abbas had a thriving plant and garden business, with imports from Jordan and Syria. His business has finally picked up. "When you take care of the garden, you forget the war."