It is well known in the blogging community that Iraq is not the horror that the mainstream press is making it out to be, but digging out those stories can be difficult. Here’s a site that has some of the successes:

101st uses seized former regime money to rebuild country
MOSUL, IRAQ (September 7, 2003) – Since the arrival of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), in the Nineveh Province a little over four months ago, $19,715,409 has been spent in rebuilding northern Iraq.

The money belongs to the Commander’s Emergency Relief Program; it was seized from the funds of the Saddam Hussein regime. The money is intended to return life in Mosul to a degree of normality not seen in decades.

As of Sept. 6, the funds have been used to complete 2,014 projects, including refurbishing and repairing schools, hospitals and orphanages in the greater Mosul area. Another 843 projects are still pending, with new ones added when required.

Find that in the Red Rag New York Times.

There are stories about free elections:

Ali named as mayor of Qayarrah
QAYARRAH, IRAQ (Aug. 26, 2003) – City council members and muktars from surrounding communities gathered at a school in Qayarrah to elect an interim mayor, Aug. 26.

The ballots, representing 13 candidates for the office, were printed in English as well as Arabic. To further eliminate any confusion, a picture also accompanied each candidate’s name.

Soldiers of 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), were on hand to keep order and to oversee the election. Soldiers also explained the voting process with the help of interpreters to make sure they understood the instructions.

Two candidates tied in the first election. A run-off election between the two remaining hopefuls took place Aug. 30.

Saleh Hassan Ali came out on top at the run-off and took the title of mayor for the town of Qayarrah.

There are stories of rebuilding basic services:

101st donated buses to connect Mosul, Talafar
MOSUL, Iraq (Sept. 1, 2003) – Two new buses were donated to the city of Mosul Monday, courtesy of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) commanders’ emergency relief program. The buses were the fifth and sixth donated to the city in an attempt to improve the transportation infrastructure for local commuters.

The new buses will connect Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, to the city of Talafar, located about 40 miles northwest. The bus route will run two to three times a day, according to a 101st Airborne spokesman.

Around $25,000 was spent on each bus, bringing the total spent on buses to $150,000 from the 101st Airborne Division CERP fund.

There are heartwarming stories of cooperation and budding friendships between Iraqis and Americans:

Artillerymen, Iraqis spin wrenches to keep U.S. rolling
MOSUL, Iraq (Sept. 1, 2003) – Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, and local Iraqis are working together, making lighter work with many hands. According to Staff Sgt. James Justice of Greenup, Ky., 1-377th, with the workload that was piling up on the 377th, including tasks like changing engines and changing out hundreds of tires, something had to be done to lighten the load.[SNIP]

The men were given a class on how to build the spare tires, and then went to work. “The first two tires they did were wrong, but the next day they did 19,” Justice said. “They do such a good job that we are working on finding them more things to do.”[SNIP]

“I have lunch with them all the time,” Fox said. “They will bring their lunches and share it with me. Yesterday, I found out I had eaten some goat lung. Every so often we get in a conversation about Saddam. They are so happy that guy is gone. They were laughing so hard when we showed them the South Park episode with him in it.”

The men are all from the same village near Mosul.

“They tell me I’m a friend of their village, and they don’t call me Spc. Fox or by my name,” Fox said. “They call me ‘Abu Sarah,’ which is, ‘father of Sarah,’ because my daughter’s name is Sarah. It’s their way of showing respect for someone, and that is all they know me as, ‘Abu Sarah.’”

There are stories of accomplishing that which Saddam could not be troubled to do:

After 30 Years, A New Bridge Reunites Two Baghdad Communities
Baghdad, Iraq…August 24, 2003-After 30 years of broken promises, two Baghdad communities have been reunited thanks to the joint efforts of the Coalition and local residents. Today, the Coalition Provisional Authority is pleased to announce the opening of a new bridge joining Gazeliyah and Al-Shula.

Twenty five years ago, the Iraqi government built a canal separating the neighboring Sunni and Shia communities. For decades residents petitioned the government to build a bridge traversing the canal, but to no avail.

There is much, much more. So much for “all the news that’s fit to print”.