Iraq: Slow reconstruction blamed on corruption

[Barrett808]

BAGHDAD, 6 September (IRIN) - It has been three years since the fall of the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's government and Iraqis are still lacking basic facilities such as power, clean potable water and sanitation, problems some experts blame on corruption.

"Corruption has become common in Iraq. Every government department is plagued by some type of corruption and the problem has become endemic countrywide," said Judge Radhi al-Radhi, head of the Commission on Public Integrity (CPI), which is tackling corruption.

So far, some 3,500 corruption cases have been investigated by the CPI, of which 780 cases have been lodged in court but fewer than 50 have been tried, according to officials.

Al-Radhi said that corruption was present in Iraq in many forms - from stealing money from coffers of ministries that should be used for the country's development, to the purchase of better grades by university students.

This endemic corruption has led to a dire lack of funds for a reconstruction process in a country which has some of the world's richest oil reserves. Now, families still suffer from having less than four hours of electricity a day, poor potable water and there is open sewage almost everywhere.

(more)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/f9e2f01c02c4b1fa15ee2356c967cff6.htm

[FloridaPat]

1. Seems to be the only trait * & the repubs have that they've actually

been able to bring to Iraq - corruption. Kind of hard to not be corrupt when it's the order of the day and the only way to feed yourself and your family.

[Solly Mack]

2. From 2003 ....."Freedom is Untidy"

Rumsfeld on looting in Iraq: 'Stuff happens'

"Freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things," Rumsfeld said."
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/04/11/sprj.irq.pentagon/

Corruption Concerns Delay Pentagon Reconstruction Projects in Iraq

The Boston Globe reports that the Pentagon has canceled the process of giving out bids to reconstruct Iraq until February 1, out of concern for pervasive corruption. It is being alleged that a small group of mercantile clans is manipulating the bidding process through dummy companies, hiding their continued domination of the economy. The Coalition Provisional Authory of Paul Bremer had been counting on the influx of reconstruction monies to win hearts and minds and begin establishing better security in Iraq. This postponement is another obstacle to the smooth transfer of power on June 30 (see the Laith Kubba interview below).

posted by Juan @ 12/30/2003 09:23:56 AM

http://www.juancole.com/2003_12_01_juancole_archive.html

still using the same excuses from 3 years ago...

[MichiganVote]

3. Republicans break it, we buy it

[fshrink]

4. Goes for NOLA as well, I suppose

Naaa...

[ShockediSay]

5. Ezactly what I had in mind when in clicked in nt