Under The Same Sun: All PowerPoint and No Water

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September 21, 2004

All PowerPoint and No Water

The pretexts for war on Iraq and justifications for our occupation have changed dramatically over the past two years. First it was the non-existing WMD and the bogus Al-Qaeda connection followed by bringing democracy and helping restore the infrastructure we helped destroy. We seem to be left now only with occupation and puppet governments.

The final official steps converting our presence in Iraq to a purely military one are being taken as the State department gets control of the never-spent Iraqi reconstruction money allocated by Congress -- about $3.5 billion is being officially diverted from reconstruction to military spending. Considering we’ve only spent one billion out of the allocated $18 billion in more than one year of occupation, it seems obvious that very little money will ever be spent for improving the water systems, the sewage, the electricity -- the very things Iraqis desparately need:

But the move comes as a grievous disappointment to Iraqi officials who had already seen the billions once promised them tied up for months by American regulations and planning committees, consumed by administrative overhead and set aside for the enormous costs of ensuring safety for the workers and engineers who will actually build the new sewers, water plants and electrical generators. Of the $18.4 billion that Congress approved last fall for Iraq's reconstruction, only about $1 billion has been spent so far.
"Nobody believes this will benefit Iraq," said Kamil N. Chadirji, deputy minister for administration and financial affairs in the Iraqi Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works, which has responsibility for water and sewage projects outside Baghdad.

"For a year we have been talking, with beautiful PowerPoint documents, but without a drop of water," Mr. Chadirji said, waving a colorful printout that he received from American officials.

The decision to shift the money, which had been earmarked for rebuilding everything from roads and bridges to telecommunications and the outdated equipment pumping oil, appears to signal an abandonment of the administration's original plan for putting Iraq back on its feet as a functioning nation.

Of course, partially thanks to a year of mismanagement, corruption and brutality on our part, the security situation is such that a lot of money does need to be spent. However, it’s also clear that there are two things Iraq needs desperately in order to get things under control: withdrawal of the occupying troops and the election of a legitimate government. Increasing our troop presence would hurt, not help, matters. And while a crackdown by a hand-picked, CIA-agent led government can appear to pacify things for short periods of time, it’s clear that short of a massive outbreak of state violence the resistance cannot be crushed by military means.

I think it’s become very clear over the summer -- following on the heels of Abu Ghraib, Najaf and Fallujah -- that an accommodating occupation was not going to be possible. The Bush camp probably only wants to delay whatever will be done in terms of “pacifying” the country until after the U.S. election. The Kerry camp had been attempting to run to the right of the Bush White House, a strategy that has failed spectacularly and one they are perhaps reconsidering.

This is not to say things will become all peaches and cream in Iraq as soon as we leave. That country clearly faces a long, tough road ahead. Our presence, however, is a detriment to possibility of democracy and security in Iraq. The real question on the table is when and how we’ll leave. The later we leave, the more problems we’ll leave behind not to mention more dead people on all sides.

Posted by zeynep at September 21, 2004 11:37 PM

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What is happening in Iraq now is the 'original plan'. There never was a plan to build a democratic Iraq. A strong democracy for the Iraqi people would threaten the interests of American global capital in this strategically important energy producing region.

I would go as far as saying that American policy is a direct copy of the Israeli's racist occupation of the Palestine West Bank and Gaza that has been going on for 37 years - turning Palestine into 'cantons' where a people are seperated from their farms, schools and hospitals and left to rot in poverty. And where their homes are destroyed to create 'free-fire zones'. For Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus read Falluja, Ramadi, Najaf.

What is happen in Iraq is the plan, but can America and Britain sustain the occupation for 37 years?

Posted by: les at September 22, 2004 10:04 PM

I'm afraid Les is right. The troops who died before "major combat operations" ended died for the original lie--Iraq's phantom WMD's. Those who have died since, and those who will die between now and our election, are dying for the lie of Iraqi democracy. After Bush steals the election (and probably if Kerry wins as well), the curtain will fall. American troops will move to heavily guarded bases outside of Iraqi cities, protecting only the oil fields and facilities and the borders. The rest of Iraq will revert to 2002--no fly zones, de facto sanctions, occasional terror bombings to keep the Iraqis scared and compliant. Heck, we've got Saddam locked up, ready to take over again if the population gets too uppity (although Allawi seems perfectly capable of assuming Saddam's role). American casualties will drop precipitously, and troop levels may even be reduced. This will be enough to keep most Americans from realizing that in the end it WAS all about the oil.

Posted by: Bob at September 23, 2004 02:43 PM

Les, google Operation Shekhinah for confirmation of your premise. Remember that the Taliban twice offered up bin Laden, first upon receipt of credible evidence of culpability, and post-invasion without condition. Both offers were spurned, as was Saddam's offer of a face-to-face with Bush. Nothing was to stymy war's march.

I find it astounding that no one remarks on Holland's membership in the coalition of the willing. Shell Oil is re-entering Iraq with Standard Oil and British Petroleum after their exit in 1971. Iraq's new vice-president, Saddam Hussein, told them that one cent on the dollar royalties would not stand; renegotiate or leave. They left.

Posted by: sean at September 26, 2004 01:32 PM

Posted by: online poker at March 12, 2005 10:54 AM

Under The Same Sun

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September 21, 2004

All PowerPoint and No Water

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