B*N*S*N BONUS

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So many stories, so little time:

Baghdad Maternity Hospital Renovation Restores Full Capacity

By Kendal Smith
Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, May 14, 2009 – For engineer Wathiq Abdul Jabbar, the May 9 ribbon-cutting ceremony that capped a $2.4 million renovation of the Alwaiya Maternity hospital here was especially meaningful.

“I feel like I helped rebuild my home,” he said. “I was born and raised just four kilometers from this hospital, so it is a special place for me.”

In 2004, the hospital had a capacity of only 37 beds. Equipment failures and structural damage caused rooms and buildings to remain unused for many years. But that has all changed. The extensive makeover, which Abdul Jabbar described as a “skin off, skin on” renovation, brought the hospital’s capability back to 344 beds.

Abdul Jabbar, chairman of The Muhandis Inbbar Group, directed the project and spoke at the ceremony to officially open the hospital.

“I want to thank the American taxpayer for the help and assistance in making this renovation possible,” he said. ...

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And there is MORE:

Iraqi Special Operations Forces Rescue Kidnapped Boy

By Army Spc. Jeffrey A. Ledesma
Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, May 14, 2009 – Under the cover of night, an element of Iraqi special operations forces recovered a young kidnap victim being held for ransom in the Iraqi capital during an early-morning, Iraqi-led operation yesterday.

Operating under the authority of a warrant issued by Iraq’s Counter Terrorism Bureau, the Iraqi soldiers recovered the 8-year-old boy and arrested his captors in hopes of disrupting a kidnap-for-ransom cell operating in the Baghdad area.

During the Iraqi and U.S. intelligence-driven mission, the ground troops secured the hostage taker's house and questioned the residents suspected of working for the kidnap cell. After questioning the suspects, the soldiers then moved to the alleged criminal's workplace, where they subsequently apprehended him.

The soldiers who carried out the mission were determined to bring the child home to his family, according to the Iraqi commander who oversaw the operation. The boy was taken from his family May 11, starting two days of waiting for the family and two days of threats for the kidnapped child in an unfamiliar place. Although those days were painful, the father of the child said a houseful of relatives comforted his family throughout the ordeal. His extended family helped him stay calm while the Iraqi soldiers provided him with hope, he added.

After commanding his troops on the ground for hours, the battalion commander said he was overwhelmed with a sense of relief and happiness when he knew the boy was finally safe.

"I felt extremely happy, and at the same time, I felt like crying," the boy’s father said, describing how he felt when he was reunited with his son. "I gave thanks to God and thanks to the soldiers for bringing my son home."...

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