Bremer Trumpets Electricity Milestone on Six-Month Anniversary of Occupati

[papau]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAJMQG6LLD.html

Bremer Trumpets Electricity Milestone on Six-Month Anniversary of Occupation
The Associated Press Published: Oct 9, 2003

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraq's national electricity network - crippled by war, looting and sabotage - has surpassed the production levels of the prewar period for the first time in six months, U.S. civil administrator L. Paul Bremer reported Thursday.
"On Monday, Oct. 6, power generation hit 4,518 megawatts, exceeding the prewar average," Bremer said at a news conference at which he trumpeted accomplishments of the U.S.-led occupation (Iraq needs 6,000 megawatts but sanctions, etc limted pre-war levels to 4,500 megawatts).<snip>

Not all were satisfied. "I don't see any improvement," said Omar Hatim, from the northeastern city district of Azamiya. "It improved for a day three days ago, then started again cutting out for three hours in the day and three hours at night." Hatim said he thinks it's "a dream" to expect no major outages next summer - the season when power demand peaks in Iraq. <snip>

- More than 13,000 reconstruction projects completed.

- More than 40,000 police on duty nationwide, including 7,000 in Baghdad, compared with virtually none at the war's end.

- A first battalion of a retrained Iraqi army graduated from basic training and on active duty.

- Twenty-two universities and 43 institutes and colleges open, along with almost all primary and secondary schools.

- An increase in deliveries of pharmaceuticals from 800 tons in May to 12,000 tons.

- Clearing of 8,000 miles of irrigation canals.

- Establishment of 170 newspapers.

"In six short months, we have accomplished a lot, but we're also aware the progress we have made is only a beginning," Bremer said. <snip>

[Maine-i-acs]

1. Don't forget the Hookers, Paul!

More hookers in the open in Baghdad now.

More porno theaters.

Better access to drugs in the street for the average citizen.


Mister Bremer left out the things that matter to some people - and the same things that Shiites use to point out the decadence of the Infidel Occupiers.

[Emillereid]

5. Not to mention -- more dead Iraqis than before the war.

More kidnapping, more car-jackings, more rape, more cancer .... as bonuses!
The hubris of these assholes.

[Desperadoe]

2. I wonder

If any of those happy Iraqis has received their first hospital or doctor bill yet, now that the for- profit medical services are in place. I also wonder how much tuition these happy Iraqis are paying in the new for-profit universities.

I really don't think that the Iraqis have learned to appreciated just how wonderful a capitalistic democracy can be. <sarcasm>

I can't wait to see how much they like this.

[legin]

3. Before Gulf War 1, 9,000 megawatts

<<snip>>

"Around 85%-90% of Iraq's national power grid (and 20 power stations) was damaged or destroyed in the 1990-1991 Gulf War. Existing generating capacity of 9,000 megawatts (MW) in December 1990 was reduced to only 340 MW by March 1991."

<<snip>>

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/iraq.html#back
(towards bottom of article)

[Spazito]

4. The media has marched lockstep in line with the .....

happy, happy days memos from the Bush admin. The PR from the WH today is a stampede of "happy, happy news".

[legin]

8. I probably shouldn't say this

but as you say this is a deliberate propaganda campaign.

The Iraqi resistance, whilst they are specifically operating in Iraq, do have to keep an eye on what is the 'political climate' of the world outside Iraq, because it will impign on their efforts within Iraq.

So it is probably in their best interests to blow this propaganda initiative out of the water with some spectacular coup like the UN thing.

[FlemingsGhost]

6. How many dead soldiers does it take to change a lightbulb?

:shrug:

[Ramsey]

7. And yet...

A big chunk of change in Bush's $20 billion is for restoring elctricity and electrical infrastructure. So why do we need to spend a bunch of money over there on electricty if we already have it better than pre-war levels? They are undercutting their own argument for reconstruction funding, and in fact their own budget guy told Congress today that things were still pretty bad, so cough up the cash. :shrug:

[bahrbearian]

9. BOOM What happened to the lights?

[Rex]

10. Wow...now really impress us with details

More than 13,000 reconstruction projects completed.

*By who? Bectel? Haliburton? Details please...

- More than 40,000 police on duty nationwide, including 7,000 in Baghdad, compared with virtually none at the war's end.

*And when was the "end" of that war, eh? Virtually none? Could it be because they all fled from US military hardware?

- A first battalion of a retrained Iraqi army graduated from basic training and on active duty.

*Wow...300+ soldiers :eyes:

- Twenty-two universities and 43 institutes and colleges open, along with almost all primary and secondary schools.

*Just like before the invasion :eyes:

- An increase in deliveries of pharmaceuticals from 800 tons in May to 12,000 tons.

*And how many were delivered before the war? Is this bulk shipments to wounded US soldiers and Iraqi civilians?

- Clearing of 8,000 miles of irrigation canals.

*Of what? Plastic water bottles?

- Establishment of 170 newspapers.

* Newspapers or news organizations? Established by who?