(Iraq) Utilities worse than before war despite U.S. funds

[Inland]

(Is it still an issue whether the invasion made life better for Iraqis and whether the money for rebuilding did anything but go to pockets of contractors? It's been a long time since Rummy talked about electricity. Does that mean it's Mission Accomplished in the minds of America, or that the hawks have stop bothering to pretend?)


http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0602090083feb09,1,1134740.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true


IRAQ IN TRANSITION

Utilities worse than before war despite U.S. funds

By James Glanz
New York Times News Service
Published February 9, 2006


WASHINGTON -- Virtually every measure of the performance of Iraq's oil, electricity, water and sewerage sectors has fallen below pre-invasion values even though $16 billion of U.S. taxpayer money has already been disbursed in the Iraq reconstruction program, several government witnesses told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday.

Of seven measures of infrastructure performance presented at the committee hearing by the inspector general's office, only one was above pre-invasion values.


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In one sense, focusing on the plummeting performance numbers "misses the point," Bowen said. The real question, he said, is whether the Iraqi security forces will ever be able to protect the infrastructure from insurgent attack.

"What's happened is that an incessant, an insidious insurgency has repeatedly attacked the key infrastructure targets, reducing outputs," Bowen said.

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[sabra]

1. billions and billions of US tax payer money....

heckofajob BushCo...

[wellst0nev0ter]

2. Reverse Midas Touch

K&Red :grr: