With our own Independence Day approaching I’m happy to have news that the support you’ve provided to Iraq’s independence is producing some very meaningful results.

1. At the bottom is a great message from Major Holden Dunham of the Marines in Al Anbar. It is an example of synergy in the work we are supporting in Iraq. One of the TV stations equipped by Spirit of America used its new gear to produce a news story about the ribbon-cutting opening ceremony of a women’s sewing center. We donated the 50 sewing machines that made the opening of the center possible. We expect to get video of the newscast and will post it on the Web when we do. Even though I don’t speak Arabic this will be the best “must see TV” I’ll have watched all year. The opening of the center and the TV coverage of such progress on the local news are very, very good things. Both of these involve courageous Iraqis working hard to advance the country at great personal risk. The support these brave men and women get from the Marines, Spirit of America and you, the American people, is invaluable. I know that if we persist we can multiply success stories like this one.

2. In my last message about my trip to Iraq I mentioned we were looking for donations for sewing machines to help women in Ramadi improve their standard of living. With your support the sewing center is already up and going. We are now expanding this effort. A photo of the sewing machine delivery is below and you can find more photos and read about it here.

3. Also on our site is another message from Maj. Dunham that provides a station-by-station status update of the Al Anbar TV equipment project. Equipping the stations and training the staff have proceeded more slowly than we hoped back in April. The terrorist violence against the US and the Coalition (and against the Iraqis that cooperate with them) has understandably slowed things down. But as you can see above there is progress. Click here to read Maj. Dunham’s update.

We are supporting work in Iraq that is more difficult and dangerous than we expected. It is also more important than we expected. The support of the American people is a key factor to Iraq’s future. We’re here to provide focus and direction to that support through the ups and the downs. I hope that someday as the Iraqi people celebrate their Independence Day we can all take pride in knowing that we did our part – that we did what we could, small or large – to make it work.

Onward and upward.

Jim Hake and the Spirit of America team

-----Original Message-----
From: Dunham Maj Oliver H
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 6:12 AM
To: Jim Hake
Cc: Lutkenhouse LtCol John F; Chandler Maj Thomas E
Subject: sewing center

Dear Jim,

The local TV station we have been supporting with your donated media gear did a news spot on the new sewing center that opened in Ramadi. The station did a 14 minute segment set to music, with interviews of different people interspersed throughout the segment. The center has actually been expanded into what the Iraqis are calling a "Women's Center" (the sign reads in English below the Arabic, "The Organization of Creative Women in New Iraq"). The Iraqis will be planning use profits generated from the sewing to fund women's education (English, computer skills, etc). This is huge and is exactly the direction we are trying to drive things as it runs counter to the agenda of the extremists who are fighting to keep this part of the world mired in the dark ages. During the segment, they panned to new furniture (purchased by us), school-type desks and new computers (I believe provided by CPA), and of course, the sewing machines set up on tables, each one being its own sewing station. They are saying that 900 families will be supported by the center though I think that may be a little bit of an overstatement as locals here are sometimes apt to do.

That said, the Iraqis had a true ribbon cutting ceremony. There was a darling little girl who was holding one end of the ribbon while a man cut the ribbon. One of the Iraqis interviewed (I believe he is the director of the center) thanked the Governor for the assistance that made the center possible. Because we are approaching the transfer to sovereignty there was no Coalition involvement in the opening of the center. Thus, though the Coalition was not mentioned; we still see this as a win. Any time the interim government gets credit for something that benefits local people, it increases support for the interim government. Support for the interim government means greater stability, which is what we need to get Iraq through the transition period.

There is still a fight here, but we are making progress.

Thanks again for the help.

Holden