This is progress in Iraq? What the cluck?

"This is an absolute success story," says Capt. David Stewart in a Special to American Forces Press Service story that arrived here yesterday via the U.S. Department of Defense. "Abdul conducts his business without coalition assistance and is able to maintain profitability."

Abdul raises chickens.

On the one hand, it's easy to imagine how chicken farming would be difficult in the middle of any war-torn country. And, of course, people need to eat.

However, what does it say about U.S. efforts to make an omelet out of all the eggs we've broken over there that this is what passes for evidence of progress that's worth crowing about?

I suppose it can't all be about electrical grids, telecommunications infrastructure, hospitals, schools and bringing an end to the carnage.

But chicken farming?

More from the DoD release:

Recently, four other chicken houses were discovered in the Abu Jasim area. Two had about 2,000 chickens and were able to produce seven crates filled with 350 eggs each. The farm is operating at about 50 percent of capacity due to limited electricity and fuel to run the generators. Profit from the eggs is being used to buy fuel and to keep the farm running.

The other two chicken houses face the same challenges. They have 24,000 white chickens and 18,000 red chickens, and are able to produce 77 crates of eggs daily.

Guess it's true that the mainstream media has been ignoring all of the good news going on over there.

By the way, I couldn't help but notice the byline on the DoD article - and, no, I am not making this up: It was written by one 1st Lt. William Perdue.