Iraq rebuilding efforts 'pitiful'

[Klaus]

BBC News

A cross-party committee of the US Congress has criticised the Bush administration for the slow progress of reconstruction in Iraq.

Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee expressed frustration that only $1bn out of a $18bn reconstruction fund approved last year had been spent.

...

STATE DEPARTMENT PROPOSAL
Police, border patrols and other security measures to be boosted by $1.8bn to $5bn
Water and sewer programs to shrink from $4.2bn to about $1.9bn
Electricity to be reduced by more than $1bn from $5.47bn

You think it's a good idea to shift the money from "long-term" projects like water- and energy supply to security?

 

[A_Wanderer]

I think that there should be more money going, because if it fails then all of it will be wasted.

It is a tough one trying to balance security and rebuilding projects because the cost of rebuilding goes up if the security situation gets bad. I think that the only option is to plod along and work to rebuild the Iraqi economy, when unemployment can be fixed then young men will not see the option of going out to get themselves shot by American troops if instead they could go out and earn money.

 

[deep]

I think that there should be more money going, because if it fails then all of it will be wasted.

Easy for you to say.

I have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes over my working career.

There is much that is being unfunded in the U. S. Not to mention Africa and other places.


How much of my taxes and and how many lifes do we throw down this bottomless pit?

 

[Klaus]

Of course the security is needed. As long as there is no security reconstruction is useless.
The only question is: Should it be payed out of the "reconstruction fund"?
The money was approved for reconstruction and to me it's obviousely no reconstruction but military expenses.

 

[Wild Angel]

It's not a bit of wonder, what contracting company wants to go over there when they could be captured and beheaded at any moment? That is scaring companies away. The radicals are hurting their own country by picking on civilians who came to help.

 

[speedracer]

It's not a bit of wonder, what contracting company wants to go over there when they could be captured and beheaded at any moment? That is scaring companies away.

Right, and as A_Wanderer noted, it's probably driving up the cost of doing business in Iraq. We need the police and military forces to keep Iraq as safe as possible.

The radicals are hurting their own country by picking on civilians who came to help.

Given that they've already murdered hundreds of innocent Iraqi citizens, I'm pretty sure they know what they want to do.

What I don't understand is why so many Americans and other foreigners are working on reconstruction projects when Iraqi unemployment is running high. Putting Iraqis to work won't make the terrorists go away, but it'll make the people of Iraq a lot happier. It's not like there isn't work for them to do, what with there being sewage in the streets, blackouts, shortages of drinking water, etc.