US officials sound alarm over Iraq fuel crisis

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/MAC051446.htm

BAGHDAD, Dec 10 (Reuters) - U.S. officials in Baghdad fear that a fuel crisis, which has left Iraqi homes cold and dark and drivers waiting days for petrol, may inflame unrest before next month's election.

"If the current situation does not improve quickly, public confidence in the government may deteriorate significantly," a diplomat wrote this week in a note circulated among the U.S.-led coalition occupying Iraq and obtained by Reuters.

Blaming sabotage, banditry and guerrilla attacks on convoys, the note urged "extraordinary efforts" to ease shortages in Baghdad and elsewhere that have sent fuel prices soaring.

In another setback for U.S. efforts to win the confidence of local people, an American sergeant was convicted of murdering an injured 16-year-old Iraqi in what troops had called a "mercy killing"; many Iraqis complain other killings go unpunished.

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[bemildred]

1. Iraq, short of gas, what else do you need to know? nt

[PuraVidaDreamin]

2. Shoot 'em like a wounded animal

sweet mercy!

[maddezmom]

3. and the Iraq bill is going to cost $3 bill or more to the US taxpayers

Officials said rising fuel costs would add $3 billion or more to next year's price tag. World oil prices have skyrocketed since the start of the year, in part because of the turmoil in Iraq.



http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=2&u=/nm/20041210/wl_nm/iraq_funding_dc

[jamesinca]

10. More money for Halliburton

They are already charging us an arm and a leg to import oil into Iraq, which for some reason makes no sense to me. Now they are going to raise the price, that is just wrong. I think Halliburton et. al. should eat the cost.

[jmcgowanjm]

12. why we're importing oil

169. December 6 - attack 10 miles (16 km) south of Samarra
on oil pipeline that runs from Bayji to Daura
refinery.
170. December 6 - attack on a pipeline that runs inside
an underground oil storage tank 50 miles (80 km) southwest
of Kirkuk.

http://www.iags.org/iraqpipelinewatch.htm

[TahitiNut]

4. Homicide is now called a "setback"??

These people are so totally devoid of morality it's appalling!

[Massachusetts]

5. This is more propaganda by Bu$hco,

just like the Food For Oil scandal. The Bu$hco Reich had complete control of the Food For Oil program, but THEY mismanaged it completely.

As Powell said "if you break it you own it" and we OWN this mess.

How is it that WE THE PEOPLE have given this idiot and his "Ship Of Fools" another (4) years to WORK FOR OUR GOVERNMENT?
:wtf:

[Lost4words]

6. We didnt, they stole it!

with the blessings of their base.

[Mari333]

7. How quickly its forgotten...

at the beginning of this illegal attack on Iraq, US citizens were spoon fed the lie "The revenues from the Iraq oil reserves will pay for the war... a cakewalk"
F*cking liars.

[3days]

8. I love this line

"If the current situation does not improve quickly, public confidence in the government may deteriorate significantly"

What the disapproval rating of their government might be lower that our disapproval of our government?

or

Public confidence that they are gonna get the shit bombed out of them some more, might deteriorate.

[leftchick]

9. once again they look at suffering people as a "PR problem"

god how I hate these people....

[area51]

11. "public confidence"

The article said:

"...public confidence in the government may deteriorate...."

May begin? It never ceases to amaze me how out of touch with reality republinazis are.