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| Think at your own risk. |
| Wednesday, March 29, 2006 |
| U.S. to Iraq: You're on your own |
Remember when Paul Wolfowitz said Iraq was a country that could pay for its own reconstruction? Well, he was wrong. But now, the Bush administration is telling Iraq, "fellas, you'll be doing it anyway." From the Asia Times (lots in that mag today...):
Iraq left to rebuild itself
By William Fisher, Asia Times
NEW YORK - Last week's announcement that Iraq will now have to pay for its own reconstruction has left some observers wondering whether the country's yet-to-be-formed government will be up to the task.
Iraq's Deputy Finance Minister Kamal Field al-Basri said it was "reasonable" for the United States to sharply cut back its reconstruction efforts after spending about US$21 billion. "We should be very much dependent on ourselves," al-Basri said in an interview with USA Today.
That will prove to be a very tall order. In 2003, the World Bank estimated the total rebuilding cost would be $60 billion. Current estimates put the bill at $70-100 billion. The new estimate comes at a time when little progress has been made in increasing Iraq's oil production - which represents more than 90% of the country's income. Slowed to a near halt by insurgent attacks, Iraq now spends about $6 billion annually to import oil. ... Meanwhile...
Approximately 16-22% of each reconstruction dollar spent by the US has gone to protect projects and contractors.
Speaking on condition of anonymity because he is involved in the current Iraqi political process, a leading Middle East expert said, "Because the US did not understand Iraqi culture, it did not anticipate the insurgency. Because it did not anticipate the insurgency, it could not have planned for the huge sums that would have to be spent on security."
Critics of the Bush administration see the end of US reconstruction funding as vindicating this position. Typical is Beau Grosscup, professor of international relations at California State University at Chico.
"Having destroyed Iraq, the US now refuses to put it back together again," he said. "This decision reflects the disastrous reality of the US occupation for the Iraqi people as it is obvious there won't be peace until the US leaves. Meanwhile, the makeover of the Iraqi economy has been completed." It's Bush's sprint to the finish line, even if that means leaving his cleats, shorts and dignity behind on the track...
And here's the AT's succinct, but damning, take on how things are going 'over there':
Iraq: Headless chickens run amok
An increasingly desperate US is talking to Iran's Shi'ite leadership as Iraq drifts into civil war. At the same time, the American military is alienating Shi'ite sympathizers within Iraq by taking the fight to Muqtada al-Sadr's militia. Iraq's Shi'ite-dominated interim government is now demanding that the US hand over control of the country's security. Meanwhile, the Kurds have fallen out with their Shi'ite allies and are courting Sunnis - to Tehran's concern; the Iraqi president and prime minister are at loggerheads; and there is still no sign of a real government. President Bush's "long haul" is getting longer. Ouch.
Related posts re Iraq:
Tags: Bush, Iraq |
posted by JReid @ 10:31 AM   |
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