Baghdad's hospitals are poorly equipped, lack medicine and equipment, are frequently overcrowded and have too few nurses and doctors to care for the patients. Many of them are also dirty, and I have had doctors tell me that they always advise patients to go home if they possibly can to avoid becoming sicker. While Iraqi doctors are often quite good, and some younger doctors have gone to sessions held by groups like Doctors Without Borders, most have had little access to training in the last five years and are working with antiquated equipment.

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Medicines are of questionable quality and often outdated. Basic antibiotics are available, but most ills are treated with broad spectrum drugs rather than drugs tailored to the particular illness. For high blood pressure, a common complaint, doctors often prescribe diazepam (Valium) and little else. Diabetes is hard to treat because it is difficult to get steady supplies of insulin. These are just a few examples, there are many more.

How can we help them win the war on terror if we can't help them win the war for basic healthcare?