Author Amir Taheri recently visited Iraq, and, not surprisingly, his observations are quite different than the ones the MSM provide us:

It would be hard indeed for the average interested citizen to find out on his own just how grossly [the MSM-generated] image distorts the realities of present-day Iraq. Part of the problem, faced by even the most well-meaning news organizations, is the difficulty of covering so large and complex a subject; naturally, in such circumstances, sensational items rise to the top. But even ostensibly more objective efforts, like the Brookings Institutions much-cited Iraq Index with its constantly updated array of security, economic, and public-opinion indicators, tell us little about the actual feel of the country on the ground.

He then provides a very large number of concrete examples of just how well many things are going over there. Be sure to read the whole thing before you dismiss me as an utterly blinded neocon cheerleader.

Via Instapundit.