RE: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,144759,00.html

It's horrible what we have done to this country

Get a clue.....War is horrible. I won't even comment on your "What we have done" portion of your statement as I can see you are a clueless antiwar liberal.

Rule two of any occupation is 'Get control of public services'. Another element of the non-plan to invade Iraq.

Obviously the planning stopped at rule one.

PS to 'of and for the troops' - you should get a clue - at one point in this war, the troops were drinking this water. Troops, or anybody else, can do 'squat' without potable water, especially in Iraq.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: popsiq,

Why is it you libs like to blame America first? The Iraqi infrastructure is severely outdated and delapidated, and these problems existed before we arrived on the scene. Also, it is a desert region and this is not uncommon. Those working on infrastructure problems are doing so at great risk while avoiding IED's and snipers taking pot-shots.

The glass is half empty, the glass is half full...four years ago, they didn't even have a glass. Think about it.

How can the Iraqis prepare food? Do they ever bathe or wash their clothes? How can they take a crap?

No wonder the Iraqis have bad tempers. Go turn off the water to your own home and live there for few days. See what happens to your mental health.

This is not a military problem. America's Cabinet secretaries should be all over this problem. That means State, Labor, Interior, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Transportation---all have vital roles to play.

And the War Czar should be cracking the whip on this! Because otherwise America is going to lose this d*mn war. This is unacceptable to me.

Any and all Cabinet-level officials who say "It's not my job" must be fired immediately. The war effort simply cannot afford this kind of mission-dodging.

So now what? Anyone have a plan??? Anyone....

Stay the course, just don't drink the water.

Kegler300,

Water service was better under Saddam than it is now. You're right about the pot shots and IEDs. Here's an article from the New York Times regarding utilities in Iraq. Please let me know it you know of anything different:

February 9, 2006
Iraq Utilities Are Falling Short of Prewar Performance

By JAMES GLANZ
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 — Virtually every measure of the performance of Iraq's oil, electricity, water and sewerage sectors has fallen below preinvasion levels even though $16 billion of American taxpayer money has already been disbursed in the Iraq reconstruction program, several government witnesses said at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday.

Of seven measures of public services performance presented at the committee hearing by the inspector general's office, only one was above preinvasion levels.

Those that had slumped below prewar levels were electrical generation capacity, hours of power available in a day in Baghdad, oil and heating oil production and the numbers of Iraqis with drinkable water and sewage service.

Only the hours of power available to Iraqis outside Baghdad had increased over prewar values.

In addition, two of the witnesses said they believed that an earlier estimate by the World Bank that $56 billion would be needed for rebuilding over the next several years was too low.

At the same time, as Iraq's oil exports plummet and the country remains saddled with tens of billions of dollars of debt, it is unclear where that money will come from, said one of the witnesses, Joseph A. Christoff, director of international affairs and trade at the Government Accountability Office.

And those may not be the most serious problems facing Iraq's pipelines, storage tanks, power lines, electrical switching stations and other structures, said Stuart W. Bowen Jr., the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, an independent office.

In one sense, focusing on the plummeting performance numbers "misses the point," Mr. Bowen said. The real question, he said, is whether the Iraqi security forces will ever be able to protect the infrastructure from insurgent attack.

quote:

Originally posted by Kegler300:
Why is it you libs like to blame America first? The Iraqi infrastructure is severely outdated and delapidated, and these problems existed before we arrived on the scene. Also, it is a desert region and this is not uncommon. Those working on infrastructure problems are doing so at great risk while avoiding IED's and snipers taking pot-shots.

The glass is half empty, the glass is half full...four years ago, they didn't even have a glass. Think about it.

So bombing the crap out of it was doing them some sort of favor?

From what I've read reconstruction was priority one under the contracts let out by the US army. $17 billion in two years to restore infrastructure. The job was 'too dangerous to do' but that didn't stop Bechtel and the business opportunity club taking their contract money anyway.

The Iraqis have lived there for a couple or six millennia. They've seen it good, and bad, there before. But when the great white hope shows up and puts a midieval society back into the stone age, you can't call that a 'victory for democracy', or anything else.

Your ignorance is outstanding, thanks for the demonstration.

PS The Iraqis had glass, and clean water too, when Americans were still dumping their piss pots in the street.

usmc_family,

You're right about us not fully mobilizing for the war in Iraq. It would be difficult for President Bush to fire or criticize his cabinet secretaries. He's the one who picked them, after all.

As for our war czar, I haven't heard much about him since he was appointed to the post. He was President Bush's sixth choice for the job, so it must be difficult.

Popsig, for you liberals, ignorance is bliss and blaming America is a favorite pastime. Blaming our bombing campaign for the infrastructure problems, not their 30 years of neglect which would eventually have resulted in catastrophic failure anyway, is ignorant. Thanks for that demonstration. A project of the magnitude they face does not fix itself overnight, and certainly not in 3-4 years.

quote:

their 30 years of neglect which would eventually have resulted in catastrophic failure anyway

Just like in America. Steam pipes are bursting. Water mains are bursting. Bridges are collapsing. But we will rebuild Iraq no matter the cost. Stay the course while the American infrastructure is crumbling.

quote:

Originally posted by bill_kananen:

quote:

their 30 years of neglect which would eventually have resulted in catastrophic failure anyway

Just like in America. Steam pipes are bursting. Water mains are bursting. Bridges are collapsing. But we will rebuild Iraq no matter the cost. Stay the course while the American infrastructure is crumbling.

Here is someone who has no concept of reality....sad really

Except that usmc_family is wrong ... those agencies are here for the US and the American people first.

Which part of 9/billion per month isnt enough for you people? Good God we have bridges in this country falling down and you people want to since more resources into Iraq than your OWN PEOPLE!!! ... thats UnAmerican and I highly doubt the taxpayers would go for what you propose.

quote:

Originally posted by Angstrom:
usmc_family,

You're right about us not fully mobilizing for the war in Iraq. It would be difficult for President Bush to fire or criticize his cabinet secretaries. He's the one who picked them, after all.

As for our war czar, I haven't heard much about him since he was appointed to the post. He was President Bush's sixth choice for the job, so it must be difficult.

poor iraqis---------you know----they can get off their dead azzzz too and help. This is just not our problem.........

quote:

Originally posted by EmmaW:
RE: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,144759,00.html

It's horrible what we have done to this country

OH, what we have done to this country... let's see:
Rebuilt schools and given them supplies
Rebuilt water supply systems
Rebuilt sewer systems
Allow women to vote
Rebuilt hospitals and clinics, and given them supplies
Refurbished and opened their soccer stadium as a sports arena, not a murder field
Reopened the National Theatre in the Karradah neighborhood, Baghdad, Iraq
... and the list goes on..

Popsig... we didn't drink water off the system in Baghdad... we had bottled water trucked in and had water processing units purifying what we used in our dining facilities... and porta-potties for crappers.

The water facilities in Baghdad were built in the 1960's and have been ignored for years before we got there and were a primary concern... just like the sewer treatment facilities and the power stations and plants.

Pop, is that "Old Yellow Stain" as your avitar?

quote:

Originally posted by 0Crystal0: Except that usmc_family is wrong ... those [Cabinet] agencies are here for the US and the American people first.

That is IMHO exactly the kind of mission-dodging "keep-shopping" attitude that dishonors our brave troops and is losing this d*mn war.

And again you miss the point ... this country has major internal problems that arnt being addressed!!!!

SORRY but your STILL 100% WRONG in your THINKING
MY TAXES SHOULD BE USED IN THE US FIRST!!

LET THE IRAQI's GENERATE THEIR OWN REVENUE AND GET THE BALL ROLLING ... and STOP SUCKING OFF THE US TAXPAYER!!

I DONT SHOP FOR UNNECESSARY ITEMS SO GET OFF YOUR FARGIN HIGH HORSE USMC

quote:

Originally posted by usmc_family:

quote:

Originally posted by 0Crystal0: Except that usmc_family is wrong ... those [Cabinet] agencies are here for the US and the American people first.

That is IMHO exactly the kind of mission-dodging "keep-shopping" attitude that dishonors our brave troops and is losing this d*mn war.

quote:

Originally posted by usmc_family:

quote:

Originally posted by 0Crystal0: Except that usmc_family is wrong ... those [Cabinet] agencies are here for the US and the American people first.

That is IMHO exactly the kind of mission-dodging "keep-shopping" attitude that dishonors our brave troops and is losing this d*mn war.

And, sure, they had glass and water long before we were even a country... it (Iraq) is part of the cradle of life... where we all came from.

But, we, the American military forces have not targeted their water or power supply systems. And, if you read the article... it is a power supply problem, not a water system malfunction. We have black outs in California for crying out loud.... supposedly the most progressive state in the Union.... NOT!

Baghdad looks a lot like parts of Honduras and Mexico... drop lines everywhere... folks stealing electricity and compromising the power system at each street corner. AND, with the advent of ALL Iraqi people having the ability to get refrigerators, air conditioners, satelite TV and TV's in general, and microwave ovens, and stereos, etc., etc., there has to be a greater strain on the power grid... add to that the IED's in the confines of the city taking down power supply lines as collateral damage...