With Infrastructure Under Attack, Iraqis Aim Their Anger at America

[CShine]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Power pylons toppled. Fuel pipelines blown apart. Foreign engineers gunned down and yanked out. Insurgents are stepping up attacks on Iraq's fragile infrastructure even as the U.S. pumps in billions of dollars to rebuild it. But with electricity in Baghdad flowing at less than half prewar levels and a scorching summer ahead, many Iraqis see the struggle to ensure adequate power as a metaphor for a U.S.-led reconstruction mission gone bad.

"We've seen nothing but empty promises," shopkeeper Raad Ghalib said, pausing to open a warm freezer reeking from 65 pounds of meat discarded after one long outage.

In Baghdad, anger is boiling over as the city of 5 million inches into a summer where temperatures are expected to rise to 120 degrees. On Friday, it was 106. To cope, most people rely on roaring generators to fuel air conditioners and fans. At night they bring out lanterns and candles, and sleep on rooftops outdoors.

Restoring stable electricity supplies is widely considered a benchmark of progress for Iraq's American rulers since they toppled Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003. But the U.S. struggle to turn the lights on - and keep them on - hasn't been easy. Every step forward seems followed by another step back.

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

[Beetwasher]

1. Halliburtons Making a Killing! Destroy! Rebuild! Destroy! Rebuild!

And the cycle continues...

[LittleApple81]

2. And dismantle entire buildings...cart them to Jordan...scorched earth.n/t

[struggle4progress]

3. kick

:kick:

[Mari333]

4. Quagmire.

The US treasury is looted, the infrastructure of the US is destroyed, social programs are practically non existent here, and in Iraq
but that wealthy 1 percent, Bush's buddies, are living well!