COURAGE UNDER FIRE:

No, this is not a “good news” story. To the contrary, Coyne’s experience confirms the deterioration of conditions in Iraq. She is confined, for security reasons, to Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone. That’s been true for a long time; now her Iraqi colleagues for the most part dare not visit her there, because the terrorists are always watching those who come and go. Communication is by phone and e-mail. …

What is remarkable, though, is that despite the mistakes of the U.S. occupation, and despite the ruthlessness and brutality of the terrorists, so many Iraqis continue to stand up on the other side. Coyne recently interviewed applicants for Fulbright grants, smart Iraqis willing to risk an association with a U.S. program because they dream of starting an Internet site, or a government watchdog organization, or a public health project. And when they are asked why they take the risk, they invariably answer, “Because it wasn’t possible before.”

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