Pwr. Shortage & Black Market Drive Baghdad to Consider Oil Rationing

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com





3//The Daily Star, Lebanon Monday, August 01, 2005

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=17228



POWER SHORTAGE AND BLACK MARKET DRIVE BAGHDAD TO CONSIDER OIL RATIONING

Most citizens face power cuts and long gas lines in the oil-rich country

By Agence France Presse (AFP)

BAGHDAD: Iraq may have the world's second largest oil reserves, but top government officials here are looking into creating a coupon program to ration fuel for next winter. Rationing aims to put a dent into the black market sale of oil products "and lead to more equitable distribution for all Iraqis," Petroleum Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said.


(snip)



The demand for fuel, especially gasoline, has been aggravated by the import of more than one million cars after the fall of Saddam, Jihad said.



Aside from difficulties getting fuel and water, Iraqis also have to put up with long periods without electricity, which in turn aggravates the fuel shortage.



In Baghdad, power blackouts last up to 20 hours a day - all at the height of summer - with temperatures around 38 degrees Celsius even after sunset.



(SNIP)



Samira al-Moussaui, an MP with the conservative Shiite majority, believes the government needs to start holding someone accountable for energy shortcomings.



(SNIP)



Another MP, Faridun Abdel Kader, said action is needed now because "anyone who studies the projects at the Ministry of Electricity will realize that ten years from now Iraq's situation will not change.

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[jimshoes]

1. If that doesn't say

the war is lost, nothing does.

[NJCher]

2. meanwhile

Americans lumber around in behemoth SUVs and heat or cool their McMansions without a care in the world.


Cher

[NYC]

5. Question about American fuel consumption.

I keep reading about self indulgent fuel consumption re SUVs, etc.

How much fuel do Americans consume in one month?

How much fuel does the American Army in Iraq consume in one month?

I have a feeling that the average American fuel consumption wouldn't look so high per capita if we took out what the army uses to go to war. Are we, the consumers, responsible for fuel consumption being so high? I'm beginning to seriously wonder about this.

[bribri16]

3. The irony of this war is trumped only by its horror! n/t

[dArKeR]

4. I like know how many DUers have been in heat where it doesn't cool off

at night? It's really miserable.


Five dead today and aWol smiles!
http://news.yahoo.com/photo/050731/480/dcpm10307311318;_ylt=At9CBam6jHA1EqvfeOg_hSMHcggF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3bGk2OHYzBHNlYwN0bXA-

[Robeson]

6. "Samira al-Moussaui, an MP with the conservative Shiite majority, ...

...believes the government needs to start holding someone accountable for energy shortcomings."

If we could ever get Congress back, we know just where to look to find that "somone accountable" that you're looking for...

[TahitiNut]

7. It's more than "the shoemaker's children going barefoot" ...

... it's about the privatization of a nation's common wealth - piracy. It's the corruption of greed and power - an amalgamation that invariably results in fascism and bloody wars and revolts.

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. I doubt they had any of these problems when Saddam was running things.

Saddam wasn't a nice guy if you happened to cross him, but neither are the bastards in control over there now, at least it wasn't a total hell war zone.