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Following is information compiled by the Multi-National Force - Iraq.
(Link to the page on the MNF-I web site at
[www.mnf-iraq.com](http://www.mnf-iraq.com/feature/Mar/060319oif.html))

**[Operation Iraqi Freedom: Three Year Anniversary \-- Progress Fact
Sheet]{.underline}**

In just three years, the people, the government and security forces of
Iraq have made tremendous and steady progress: the elimination of a
brutal dictator, the democratic election of an Iraqi government, the
development of an Iraqi constitution, the restoration of Iraq's
infrastructure beyond pre-war levels and the establishment of an
increasingly effective Iraqi Security Force that in time will be able to
take over from Multi-National Force-Iraq. 

As their march towards a stable democracy continues, the United States
Embassy -- Iraq and Multi-National Force-Iraq remain committed to the
people and government of Iraq while it shapes and seats its new
government, a government in which all Iraqis have a voice and their
rights are protected and acts as a partner in the war on terror.

WAR ON TERROR

-   Before the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, under the control
    of Saddam, was an enemy of the U.S. and the civilized world; today
    it is an ally of both as well as a global partner in fighting
    terror.

-   The aim is to defeat the terrorists and their allies at the heart of
    their power - and Coalition forces are achieving that goal.
    Coalition and Iraqi Security Force operations in Iraq continue
    fighting the terrorists and regime remnants in Iraq, who seek to
    overthrow a democracy, claim a strategic country as a haven of
    terror, destabilize the Middle East, and strike America and other
    free nations with ever increasing violence.

-   Since 2003, Iraqi forces have fought alongside Coalition forces in
    Najaf, Samarra, Fallujah, Baghdad, North Babil, Mosul, Al Anbar, and
    a host of other locations.  Although Iraqi forces have endured
    thousands of casualties, have been attacked multiple times each day,
    and have suffered losses through brutal intimidation attacks, there
    remains no shortage of volunteers ready to step up and defend the
    sovereignty and freedom of their nation. 

-   Fighting the enemy here in Iraq makes it more difficult for them to
    strike us in the U.S. We can decisively weaken the ideological
    extremists, led by bin Laden, Zawahiri and Zarqawi, by stabilizing
    Iraq, and actively helping Iraq help themselves against this threat.

-   Now that the people of Iraq are permitted to choose their own
    destiny and advance by their own energy the terrorists are being
    marginalized; last year, tips to Coalition or Iraqi Security Forces
    regarding terrorist activity or locations only numbered about 400 a
    month, by year's end more than 4,500 calls per month provided
    information on terrorists or resources whereabouts. 

-   Operations continue to degrade the terrorist network.  Since January
    2005, we have killed or captured more than 122 key leaders of Al
    Qaeda in Iraq.

Information compiled from White House reports, 2006 MNF-I press
conference transcripts, and MNF-I Report "2005 Year in Review"

IRAQI GOVERNMENT

**General Governance**

-   The Iraqi people took responsibility for their government with the
    transfer of sovereignty and the establishment of the Interim Iraqi
    Government on June 28, 2004. In the December 2005 elections more
    than 300 parties and coalitions were registered, and roughly 11
    million voters participated, including many who had opposed the
    constitution and boycotted elections in January.

-   The Council of Representatives (CoR), the parliament elected under
    the new Iraqi constitution, convened on Thursday, March 16, at the
    Parliament Center in Baghdad.  Two hundred seventy-five
    representatives were sworn into Iraq's new four-year government. The
    formal seating or convening of this CoR symbolizes an important step
    in Iraq's pathway to democracy. This representative body will serve
    as the basis for establishing a broad-based government of national
    unity for Iraq.

-   In 2003, the authoritarian control of Saddam's regime allowed few of
    Iraq's 18 governorates any real authority. Today, those 18
    governorate councils, in addition to 90 district councils, 194 city
    or sub-district councils, and 437 neighborhood councils established
    since the start of OIF equate to and promote a decentralized
    governance system that provides more than 19 million people the
    means to engage in local policy discourse.

-   It is unknown if civil society organizations even existed under the
    totalitarian regime of Saddam; however, now in 2006, there are more
    than 561 civil society organizations in 18 governorates established
    as part of a campaign targeting grassroots democracy.

-   Today, there are more than 40 countries and international
    organizations with Embassies and Missions established in Iraq,
    cementing Iraq's position in a cooperative, global community.

Information provided by MNF-I, DCS STRATEFF, Policy Division

**Ministry of Education**

-   In 2003, approximately 6.1 million children were enrolled in Iraq's
    lower education system. Of these only about 2.96 million were
    expected to graduate from secondary school. Now, in 2006 nearly 25%
    of the Iraqi population either attends a school of, or is directly
    employed by, the Ministry of Education. With a 2006 budget of \$1.9
    million (up 66% from 2005), the ministry oversees more than 20,000
    school sessions in over 14,731 school buildings, administrative
    offices, and educational facilities nationwide.  The MoED provides
    the oversight and training needed to support 500,000 teachers in
    their work with 6.28-6.4 million K-12 students a 3-5% increase from
    2003.

-   In 2003 there were 14,731 kindergarten, elementary and secondary
    schools, most of which suffered from years of neglect by the Saddam
    regime, an insurgency intent on intimidating teachers and students,
    and the damage caused by war.  Over the last three years nearly
    6,000 of those schools have been renovated or undergone some form of
    rehabilitation.

-   In 2003, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
    (MHESR) consisted of 22 universities, 46 institutes or colleges
    within the community college system, two commissions and two
    research centers. Since 2003, MHESR has, in addition to continuous
    work on its facilities and infrastructure that had been largely
    destroyed by war and looting,  has been able to install nearly a
    dozen new colleges within its university system.

Information provided by Iraq Reconstruction Management Office

**Ministry of Health**

-   Iraq\'s Ministry of Health (MoH) on Sept. 4, 2004, initiated the
    first polio immunization program in the country since the start of
    the war in March 2003, in an effort to protect 4.7 million children
    from the infectious disease.  After two rounds of National Polio
    Immunization Days in the summer of 2005, 98% of Iraqi children under
    five have been vaccinated for polio.

-   With support from the United Nations Children\'s Fund (UNICEF), the
    World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union (EU), which
    contributed over US \$2.5 million, the Iraqi authorities succeeded
    in immunizing the vast majority of children in the first three days
    of the campaign, UNICEF said. A total of 25 million doses of vaccine
    were purchased with help from a \$3.2 million grant from the United
    States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Information compiled from the MNF-I Reports "2004/2005 Year in Review"
and Iraq Reconstruction Management Office report "Rebuilding Iraq" (Feb
06)

IRAQI SECURITY FORCES

**General Security**

-   Today, ISF independent operations account for more than 36 percent
    of total operations conducted.

-   Since 2003, 34 Forward Operating Bases out of a peak total of 110,
    have been transferred to the Iraqi Transitional Government,
    transferred to the ISF or closed.

-   Controlling its national borders and preventing infiltration of
    terrorists and foreign fighters wishing to use Iraq as a safe haven
    or conduct acts of terror, was possible due to operations in Al
    Anbar, Tall Afar, and the Western Euphrates River Valley area. These
    operations, along with the establishment of 258 border forts,
    resulted in the successful restoration of border control to the
    people and government of Iraq in late 2005.  

-   Since 2003, 258 border facilities, 309 police stations, 14 academies
    and branch schools, 26 unit headquarters, and 67 fire stations have
    been built or rehabilitated.

Information compiled from 2006 MNF-I press conference transcripts

**Ministry of Defense**

-   After being formally dissolved May 23, 2003, the first 1,000
    recruits of Iraq's new Army began training Aug 2, 2003. Today the
    Ministry of Defense forces now number 112,900; with 99,500 in the
    Army, 600 in the Air Force, and 800 in the Navy, and 10,800 in
    various support force units.  

-   The Iraqi military was rebuilt from scratch since 2003. The Iraqi
    Army absorbed the Iraqi National Guard to form 10 Iraqi Army combat
    divisions. There are now 101 trained and equipped combat battalions
    in the Iraqi Army -- all of them are in the fight.  This includes a
    (Special Operations Forces) Counter-Terrorist battalion, a Commando
    battalion, and Strategic Infrastructure battalions.  Most recently,
    the Counter-Terrorism battalion rescued a retired Iraqi army
    brigadier general who had been kidnapped and was going to be killed
    by his captors. Today, 49 Iraqi Army combat battalions, 13 Brigade
    headquarters, and two Division headquarters control their own battle
    space.

-   Iraq's Navy is now operational with a Patrol Boat Squadron with five
    Predator-class Patrol Craft, an Assault Boat Squadron with 25 Fast
    Assault Boats (FABs), and a Marine battalion, all of which serve to
    defend Iraq's coast, territorial waters, vital ports and offshore
    assets against both external and internal security threats.

-   Iraq's Air Force has five fully operational squadrons capable of
    conducting a variety of airlift, utility, intelligence gathering,
    surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The squadrons include one
    C-130 transport squadron, two ISR squadrons with CH2000, Compair,
    and Seeker aircraft, and two helicopter squadrons with UH-1s and
    Bell Jet Rangers. The IAF recently purchased 10 Mi17 Hip helicopters
    which will soon form another helicopter squadron. 

-   Iraq's three military academies are committed to professionalizing
    the Iraqi military.  Rustamiyah has graduated 73 from the Sandhurst
    model course, Zahko has graduated 411, and Qalachoun currently has
    188 enrolled.  Between the three institutions, 653 have graduated
    from the three-week newcomer's course.

-   Since 2003, construction on 12 major military training facilities
    was completed and 10 other projects are ongoing.

Information provided by MNSTC-I Public Affairs

**Ministry of Interior**

-   In 2003, Iraq had a dilapidated internal security force. Today the
    Ministry of Interior has over 127,845 professionally trained and
    equipped members.  Of those, over 88,962 are trained and equipped
    regular police officers and the other approximately 38,883 are
    assigned to National Police Forces, Commandos, Public Order
    Division, Mechanized Police Brigade and Border Enforcement.

-   In November 2003, Iraq's only formal police training academy opened
    in Jordan; today, there are 12 police training academies including
    eight basic police academies that instruct the10-week basic training
    course, designed to better prepare the police for the challenging
    environment in which many will serve.  

-   In 2003, Iraq was unable to independently provide security for its
    own borders; today 20,391 border enforcement personnel have
    completed training and 258 border forts have been built, or are
    currently under construction, to help Iraq's Border Enforcement
    officers patrol and secure Iraq's borders.

-   Since 2003, 20 provincial SWAT teams of 32 personnel each have been
    trained and equipped, and one more is scheduled to complete training
    by December 2006. 

-   Since 2003, 277 Iraqi Police construction projects were completed
    across the 18 provinces and 11 major cities.  This included 37
    police headquarters, 187 police stations, and seven highway patrol
    stations.

Information provided by MNF-I/Ministry of Interior Liaison Officer

IRAQI ECONOMY

-   When Coalition forces began Operation Iraqi Freedom, they entered a
    country whose energy infrastructure had deteriorated over many
    years. The U.S. Embassy and MNF-I set out to help the Iraqi
    government restore oil facilities, increase production, and improve
    refining, natural gas production, and pipeline facilities; by
    year-end 2005, 179 oil projects have been pursued worth \$1.16
    billion, 42 have been completed worth \$110 million. Production is
    on par with prewar levels at 2.0 million barrels of oil per day
    (bpd) and exports of 1.3 million bpd.  Over 350 pipelines have been
    repaired and revenues are up to \$24.5 billion from postwar levels
    of \$5.1 billion in 2003. 

-   The U.S. Embassy and the Government of Iraq continue to address the
    issue of Iraqi unemployment; today, about 1.5 million Iraqis are
    employed under reconstruction efforts, working on schools, clinic,
    roads and numerous other infrastructure projects, and the overall
    national unemployment dropped in 2005 to 28% (as reported by COSIT)
    or 12-18% (as estimated by MNF-I).  

-   Since 2003, 32,574 new Iraqi businesses have been registered.

Information provided by MNF-I, DCS STRATEFF, Economics Division

RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

-   The Iraq Relief & Reconstruction Fund (\$2.5 billion) and
    supplemental appropriations (\$18.4 billion) have been committed to
    the rebuilding of Iraq. As of March 7, 2006, \$18.6 billion (of
    which \$11.4 billion is obligated for DoD projects) has been
    obligated on Iraqi reconstruction.

-   Since March 2003, more than 11,600 construction projects have been
    started.  More than 9,340 projects, valued at \$9.3 billion, have
    been completed.

-   Since March 2003 \$9.6 billion (IRRF 1 - \$2.5 billon, IRRF 2 -
    \$7.1 billion) has been focused on providing reliable essential
    services (electricity, water, transportation, telecommunications,
    and oil).  More than 2,412 essential service projects are either
    completed or underway.

-   Before March 2003, Iraq averaged 4,300 MW of peak electricity
    generation, supplying Baghdad with 12 to 24 hours of power a day by
    diverting power from the rest of Iraq, left with four to eight hours
    of power, however today the average Iraqi citizen has seven hours of
    electrical service in Baghdad and 10 to 12 hours in the rest of the
    country.  It is expected to be 12 to 14 hours over the next year. 

-   Before March 2003, only 5.5 million of Iraq's 25 million citizens
    had access to a safe and stable water supply. Iraq's cities suffered
    from inadequate sewage systems, today 19 potable water treatment
    facilities have been built or rehabilitated, providing a standard
    level of service to about 2.7 million more Iraqis. In addition eight
    centralized sewage treatment facilities have been rehabilitated,
    adding capacity to benefit 4.9 million Iraqis.

-   Health care for some ethnic groups was almost nonexistent under
    Saddam\'s regime; today there are over 300 new health care facility
    projects across Iraq and over 270 projects underway to be completed
    by mid-year 2007 allowing an additional 7 million Iraqi citizens,
    regardless of ethnicity, geographic origin, gender, or religious
    affiliation access to health care that was unavailable under the old
    regime.

Information complied from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region
Division, Public Affairs and IRMO Feb 06 report "Rebuilding Iraq"