Recovering Iraqi Orphans Face Bleak Future
Lara Logan Checks Back In With The 24 Boys Discovered Neglected Last Week
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Soldiers Visit Rescued Orphans
U.S. soldiers looked in on the 24 special needs boys they rescued from an Iraqi orphanage. The kids have improved, but few resources are available for their long-term care. Lara Logan reports.
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Eye To Eye: Iraqi Orphans
Only On The Web: More than 20 mistreated boys were rescued from a Baghdad orphanage by U.S. and Iraqi troops. Lara Logan talked with one soldier about the boys' current condition.
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Notebook: Baghdad Orphanage
Lara Logan's report on the horrendous conditions inside a Baghdad orphanage shocked many viewers back home. Katie Couric says it's clear the casualties of war are often the most innocent ones.
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U.S. and Iraqi soldiers provide medical care to boys discovered naked and abused in a Baghdad orphanage on June 10, 2007. Soldiers found 24 severely malnourished boys, some tied to their beds, in the orphanage, yet there was a room full of food and clothing nearby, in this photo given to CBS News. (CBS)
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Lt. Jason Smith visits the slowly recovering Iraqi orphans at their new orphanage home, June 20, 2007. (CBS)
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Capt. Benjamin Morales carries one of the special needs boys from a Baghdad orphanage after finding the children suffering in horrific conditions, in this photo given to CBS News. (CBS)
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Photo Essay
Baghdad Orphanage Horror
U.S., Iraqi soldiers rescue 24 severely malnourished and abused boys.
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Photo Essay
Iraq Shrine Hit Again
Two minarets of Askariya Shiite Shrine in Samarra bombed; dome was destroyed last year.
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Photo Essay
Iraq In Pictures
A daily diary with scenes of the latest attacks and snapshots from the effort to rebuild a nation.
Morales was back to check on the 24 boys he and his soldiers rescued just more than a week ago.
The boys were literally starving to death in a government-run orphanage for special needs children. Those in charge left them naked and tied down, while piles of new clothes and food were stored right down the hallway.
Thanks to these soldiers, and the joint Iraqi-U.S. patrol that first found them, the boys' lives were saved.
"Hey guys?" asks Lt. Jason Smith as he walks up to boys in cribs making noises like them.
When we visited them again today in the safety of a different special needs orphanage nearby, the contrast was stunning.
"Look at 'em," Morales said. "They are all smiling; they're all laughing!"
It's obvious how much better off these boys are at this orphanage. The problem is they are still special needs children with no access to specialized care.
Smith and his wife, Kara, in North Carolina are both special education teachers. Logan asked Smith if one of the boys was in the United States, what kind of care would he get.
"He wouldn't be sitting in this, that's for sure," Smith said of the crib the boys are kept in. "He'd be in a wheelchair most of the time."
But in Iraq, they're understaffed, underpaid and the social workers lack specialized training.
"The problem here is what you said earlier: There is no education, so they're gonna do the same thing everyday — until they aren't here any more," Smith said.
One little boy almost did die. When the soldiers found him, he was covered in thousands of flies, unable to move. They never thought he'd recover as much as he has.
The boys are being fed now. They're safe. They've got somewhere to sleep. But what kind of future do they have?
"This is it, right here," Smith said. "This is their future."
The plight of the boys has outraged Iraqis, with excerpts of our report aired constantly on local TV for almost two days. The public pressure forced the Labor and Social Affairs Minister to speak out — but instead of taking responsibility, he lashed out at the U.S., calling America Iraq's enemy.
As CBS News was filming new scenes on Wednesday, the minister was telling the nation these boys are perfectly healthy — and that Logan's report was a lie.Find out how to help the orphans.
See the photos given to CBS News.
Watch extended video of Logan’s interviews with the soldiers who rescued the orphans.
Read Lara Logan's reporter's notebook on this story.
And these are the same soldiers the minister said have no compassion.
"We'll leave here and he'll remember us 'til the day he dies," Smith said. "He'll remember us as the guys that came in here and took him out of the situation he was in and put him in this situation. He'll never be able to tell us thanks. He doesn't need to really."
The fear in Iraq is that there may be other vulnerable children in similar or worse conditions who haven't yet been found.
If you’d like information on helping out the orphans, click here.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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Find out how to help the orphans.
See the photos given to CBS News.
Watch extended video of Logan’s interviews with the soldiers who rescued the orphans.



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See all 117 Commentspayoffs to Robertson, Falwell and "Pastor Ted" helping these innocent children that the Evangelicals decimated?
Hypocrite 'Christians" and their false prophet/idol Bush that they elected profess "right for life" but in deed, are vile killers.
They are opposed to stem cells that could care for the living, but delight when people suffer and die as a result of their deeds.
Boy, JohnShaft4, you are one bitter dude.
Have you ever considered going to a counselor?
This is a story about American soldiers rescuing deprived orphans and later checking in on them and you're ranting about Bush and others "decimated" them?
That's one twisted mind you've got there.
I bet there are thousands of couples in the USA who would adopt these kids in a heartbeat.
Posted by JohnShaft4 at 07:49 PM : Jun 20, 2007
I don't know about "delight", but they are most certainly cavalier about causing suffering.
It would probably take 3-4 career special educators and one therapist who knows adaptive equipment and these kids could live productive lives. The army, Peace Corps, Red Cross, and Iraqi government need to get on the ball immediately and work together. These kids need a life and deserve one as much as any American child.
ONe thing that bothered me is that they had no toys or stimulation. Even though they were clean, fed and dressed, there was nothing for them to do. They need toys, videos and music now that they are better. There is no way they can demonstrate their potential if they live in a room that contains only beds and them. Mental and emotional neglect are a close second to physical neglect.
I wish those children could come to the US for adoption and care.
Americans also need to stop objecting to group homes being opened in nice, middle class residential neighborhoods. In some cities the residents demand they be located in commercial areas or slums---the old NIMBY disease that Katrina survivors have also been experiencing for 2 years now.
Now that the Republicans are getting kicked out of the federal government it is time for some restoration of the social programs that Reagan cut so that Americans don't suffer like the Baghdad boys did. If we care for the least of our own God will bless our country and maybe other countries will follow suit.
But, I have to wonder why all boys. Surely there were special needs girls, where are they? Are there other orphanages like this around. Seems peculiar, just one place and just one gender.
So do the rest of Iraqis, thanks to a horrific and illegal, lie-based war of aggression, and daily propaganda submissions from yellow-journalists like Lara Logan.
Safe bet. The odds are clearly in his favor.
, We destroyed every bit of help that was given them,& for 4 years did nothing to help them. The aid money from thier government never gets there & we do not protect orphanages, mosques, museams or much else as far as that goes. We would need 2 million more troops.
Posted by j-whitman at 09:56 PM : Jun 20, 2007
I am sorry, but you are just wrong on some of your facts. If you look at reports that filtered out of Iraq before we arrived, you would know that for decades human rights groups had been protesting the treatment of mentally handicapped children and adults. If anything, the new Iraqui government, though clearly with limited success, has worked to improve the lot of those individuals. The United States and the British have helped that effort immensely. You can find evidnece in reports published in the Christian Science Monitor, the Times of London, and on various human rights websites. Jwhitman, I know you disagree with the war and you are one who dislikes the President, but you should perhaps at least try to be even handed in your criticism. You always bring up the lies you believe have been fed to the American people by the government, but then in your own posts you yourself twist facts and do the exact same thing you condemn the government for doing.
Our troops need at least 1.6 million more to continue doing good & they need them now.
. The problem outmorrows, has always been & will be Bush, The "Decider" & his totally failed policies & deadly rhetoric that has all been proven wrong.
Yours must be a miserable existence, so filled with hate. Without knowing your background, I can't know whether to fear, hate or pity you.
I do know this: You are sorely misguided.
, Take a snap shot of right now,,,, Going on 5 years later in Iraq --- 0 progress at all.
Going on 6 yrs in Afaganistan,, not much change exeept for Taliban gaining & the government losing.
Democracy was a bust to begin with & so was any expectation this administration has had.
Our troops need at least 1.6 million more to continue doing good & they need them now.
. The problem outmorrows, has always been & will be Bush, The "Decider" & his totally failed policies & deadly rhetoric that has all been proven wrong.
Posted by j-whitman at 10:08 PM : Jun 20, 2007
And where exactly do you get this figure? I am not disputing it but I would be interested in your source. As for my "Nixon GOP strategy" I was not trying to turn anything "around on our troops" as you so oddly put it. I said that this story is about something positive and it would be nice if some of you could acknowledge that without expressing your hatred and vitreal for a change of pace. I also said that your assertion that this kind of abuse did not happen under Hussein's government was patently wrong. I watch the news too and read the papers and visit the websites, you would have to be pretty cut off from the flow of information not to know that Saddam's government was criticized as early as the early 80s by even some fellow Arab states for its treatment of the mentally challenged. Now you can call me every name in the book, accuse me of being an "ignorant SOB" as you did another person on this site, but all of your hate speech, all of your anger, all of your venom won't make you right.
Our National Graduation Rate is 67 percent,, You folks are some of the worst..... You are Pro-Life only untill birth,,, Get it right.
I am real happy,, I just hate idiot dishonorable lying people who clame to be Super Americans abusing our nation & laws running our country.... Just for thier own profit & radical religious views.
, Take a snap shot of right now,,,, Going on 5 years later in Iraq --- 0 progress at all.
Going on 6 yrs in Afaganistan,, not much change exeept for Taliban gaining & the government losing.
Democracy was a bust to begin with & so was any expectation this administration has had.
Again Jwhitman, your are twisting the truth. Iraq and Afghanistan are certainly not havens of peace and security, but there have been scores of developments, positive developments over the last five years. The Kurdish area of Iraq alone has experienced unknown peace and prosperity. Yes, what we see on the news everyday is horrific, but the car bombs, the shootings, the bombings are effectively limited to several specific areas of Iraq. There are many other areas in central Iraq and even in the south that are witnessing the building of new hospitals, schools, publich buildings, not replacing things damaged in the war but brand new additions to the landscape.
-- It's already costs us more American lives than necessary & for absoultly no gain at all
Posted by j-whitman at 10:25 PM : Jun 20, 2007
Thanks for the insults, always a way to ferment intelligent conversation. It seems to me that my main crime is not agreeing with you, a person I gather who has all the answers and is omnipotent. Congratulations j-whitman, the rest of us meer mortals have to depend on doing research, reading extensively and seeking out data from a variety of sources. I hate to break it to you j-whitman, but moveon.org and Michael Moore are not the be all end all of information. You accuse me of being out of touch with reality or just a calculating liar because, in effect, I see the world differently than you do. Yet one could argue, that your hatred has poisoned your mind to the point where you can only see what you are willing to accept, what does not fit in with your slanted picture of reality must be a lie. I am sorry for you.
-- There is always more than one side of a story& it isn't a real bright picture.., Otherwise progress would be standing out on it's own.
You keep spitting out half baked lies & I'll keep insulting you,,,, It's called honoring the truth, our country & troops
Your 100% right BUT that is not news worthy for any of the news.
Agreed in fact they said these miltary peoples careers will not go past this cause the were brave enough to speak freely.........That is sad
, Shame isn't it ?? This is the 21st centry & we have let this happen to our country... High school graduation rate is only 67% & getting worse, standards have been lowered for colleges & it cost more ---
-- Don't want to scare anyone,,, but it will get much worse before it gets better --- The only support you hear for Bush is his few remaining loyalists. And we can't get him fired.
"Giuliani: Joining Iraq group a mistake
DES MOINES, Iowa [AP] - Republican presidential contender Rudy Giuliani said Wednesday it was a mistake for him to join the Iraq Study Group, on which he lasted just two months and failed to show for any official meetings. The former New York mayor has tried to tamp down criticism in recent days after Newsday reported that Giuliani was a no-show for two of the group's meetings and instead attended paid public appearances.
Giuliani said the main reason he quit was that it "didn't seem that I would really be able to keep the thing focused on a bipartisan, nonpolitical resolution."
- Posted by j-whitman at 11:08 PM : Jun 20, 2007
In fairness to Giuliani, I did take his quote out of context.
- Posted by Iceman_1960 at 11:13 PM : Jun 20, 2007
I may be partisan, but I should also strive for honesty. The two seldom go together.
Here's what Rudy Giuliani said, in context:
"It didn't seem that I would really be able to keep the thing [Iraq Study Group] focused on a bipartisan, nonpolitical resolution. It was a mistake because I had an active political career that could interfere with the way in which the recommendations of the commission would be viewed. All of the other members of the commission have had distinguished public careers, but none of them were prospective candidates for office."
- Problem you are missing is,,,, This guy could care less about finding a solution for Iraq even if he was on the commission.
Get out!
www.ipetitions.com/petition/OutNow
Here they come, right into the heartland, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Arab Moslems. The first wave of adults - meek though they may be - will breed 5 or 6 children each, many of whom will become islam fanatics anxious to avenge their parents sell out of their homeland. Thanks, George, your legacy will live on and on and on.
Re: "MAKE IT KNOWN TO THEM THAT THEY ARE OVER THERE FIGHTING FOR A REASON"
O.K....for example???
Re: "GIVE THESE SOLDIERS SOMETHING TO COME HOME TO!"
No excuse required. Just come home.
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