Sunday, February 3, 2008

Iraq: No power, no water and LOTS of ICK

Not only is the vast majority of Baghdad subsisting on generator power and a severe water shortage, the sewage plants are either not working, or on the verge of not working.

One of three sewage treatment plants is out of commission, one is working at stuttering capacity while a pipe blockage in the third means sewage is forming a foul lake so large it can be seen "as a big black spot on Google Earth," said Tahseen Sheikhly, civilian spokesman for the Baghdad security plan.

Facilities that were already aging before the invasion are falling apart. Sheikhly is quick to point out the number of new schools and health clinics that have been built or repaired over the last year, but then he follows up with the fact that full electricity will take several years to restore because of the damage sustained during the fighting. What's the point of having a bunch of new buildings with no power to give them? What kind of service is a clinic with no electricity going to be able to provide? Too bad we didn't keep track of all that money that went missing or to fatten up the contractors, so that we could actually avoid turning Iraq into a Third-world country
.And here is the rest of it.

3 comments:

Phil said...

What the US has done to Iraq is nothing short of criminal. Bush said we'd bring democracy to Iraq; instead, we brought chaos. This illegal occupation costs Americans in many ways, and we'll be paying the bill for years to come.

Anonymous said...

I will never understand the reasoning of wars or the thought process of those who make them happen. Its not just the financial cost, but the cost of innocent lives day after day. It is heartbreaking and hopefully we can change that in the coming year. If things dont change in Iraq, i'm afraid with the no water and no power there, and the sewer system the way it is, disease wont be far behind.

Anonymous said...

it is criminal and sad hhjoy