US Fails To Carry Out Most Iraq Water Projects Despite Billions Allocated

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January 27, 2006 — By Jim Wolf, Reuters

WASHINGTON — About 60 percent of planned water and sanitation projects in Iraq have not been carried out since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, a U.S. audit said Thursday.

Only 49 of 136 planned water- and sanitation-related projects will be completed and only about 300 of 425 planned electricity-related projects, according to the report by Stuart Bowen, special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction.

The U.S. Congress appropriated $18.4 billion for relief and reconstruction in Iraq in November 2003, allocating the funds among specific infrastructure and governance sectors.

Water resources and sanitation took the biggest hit among the sectors, losing $2.185 billion (to funding for security and law enforcement), or 50.4 percent of its original allocation, the audit found. The next hardest-hit was the electric sector, slashed 22.5 percent to $4.31 billion.

Security and law enforcement was originally scheduled to get the third-biggest share of reconstruction funds after the electric sector and water resources and sanitation.

full article: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9753


The article blames Saddam for the damaged water supply, but BushI intentionally destroyed Iraq's water system during the first Iraq war.

U.S. and British forces also bombed electrical facilities in Iraq during the 'shock and awe' phase of this invasion. High-voltage lines were destroyed. That in turn shut down Basra's water pumping and treatment plants.