Here is an amazing story that I received from a friend in New York State today.  This is an amazing story about one Iraqi who wanted to show his thanks for the freedom that was bought with the lives of our brave men and women in uniform.  This is simply a must read. This statue currently stands outside an Iraqi palace, now home to the 4th Infantry Division.  The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the

hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam Hussein that have dotted Baghdad for some twenty years now.  Kalat was so grateful for the American liberation of his country; he melted three of bust statues of Saddam Hussein and made the statue that you see here to the right as a memorial to the American soldiers and their fallen warriors.  Kalat worked on this memorial night and day for several months. Here is the narrative that Kalat provided through an interpreter so that Americans would understand the message of his statue: "The soldiers' helmet, M-16 rifle, and empty boots symbolize the brave American soldiers who have given their lives for the freedom of my country.  The soldier kneeling in front of those items symbolizes the grieving soldiers that mourn the passing of their comrades in arms.  To the left of the soldier is a small Iraqi girl who is reaching out to console the soldier's grief as he mourns the loss of his comrades.  That small Iraqi girl symbolizes the feelings of a majority of Iraqis."

Kalat told the reporter who originally wrote this story that despite what the news media shows, the vast majority of his countrymen welcome the presence of United States soldiers, and view them as "liberators," not as an occupying force that so many news outlets report about.  Just before leaving, Kalat told the reporter, "You give us a chance . . . . we will show Americans just how much we appreciate what their country has done by making democracy work in our country."  The statue will eventually be shipped to the United States, where it will be displayed in the Memorial Museum in Fort Hood, Texas.

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