Iraqis desperate for water.
By on Aug 23rd, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Iraqis desperate for water.
Although the United States has spent $2.4 billion on Iraq’s water and sanitation sector since 2003, the United Nations “estimates that less than half of Iraqis get drinking water piped into their homes in rural areas. In the capital, people set their alarm clocks to wake them in the middle of the night so they can fill storage tanks when water pressure is under less strain.” Additionally, a billion liters of raw sewage is dumped into Baghdad’s waterways each day. The World Bank estimates that at least $14 billion is needed to refurbish Iraq’s water system.
View Most Popular
Advertisement
What We're About
What We're Fighting For
What We're Fighting Against
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Afghanistan
Bachmann
Beck
Boehner
Bush
Cheney
Civil Rights
Congress
Corporate Ethics
Dobbs
Economy
Education
Election
Energy
Environment
Ethics
Fox News
Gingrich
Global Warming
Guantanamo
Health Care
Immigration
International Relations
Iraq
Justice
LGBT
Lieberman
Limbaugh
Media
Military
O'Reilly
Obama
Palin
Pelosi
Politics
Race
Radical Right
Religion
Steele
Stimulus
Tea Parties
Technology
Terrorism
Veterans
Women's Rights
Visit Our Affiliated Sites
Reports
In-depth studies on select topics
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.
ArchivesBlog Roll
Given how much contractor coprruption has already been exposed, how much we spend and how much we accomplish are often completely unrelated.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:05 pmheckaofajob, bushie!
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:07 pmJust wait until the Iraqis start killing us for “our” water.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:10 pm“Although the United States has spent $2.4 billion [paying unqualified private no-bid GOP contractors] on Iraq’s water and sanitation sector since 2003…”
There, fixed it.
PEACE
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:14 pmAnd to think this is what the Iraqis invited us in for…
Snark/off…
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:14 pmI do believe it is more the “appearance” of accomplishing something while the private contractors and corporations grow and prosper.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:15 pmActually refurbishing the system with the purpose of functioning well, serving all the people that need it, and actually lasting a long time (quality) would cut into their profits. Isn’t going to happen. They don’t give a rip about those people.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:21 pmWell, since they have 79 billion in excess profits from their oil, perhaps they should use some of it to improve their infrastructure. I believe we had an obligation to repair what we broke, and I doubt that we really did it. But at this point they are the ones who are breaking things and they have plenty of money to make it right.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:28 pmI bet the World Bank is very eager to float that $14 billion loan. And I bet an American company will get the contract to fix the problem, immediately funneling that loan money into the US. Global capitalism at its best!
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:48 pmCue the trolls calling for the Iraqis to pay for it with their oil money!
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:06 pmNot a troll reference to you Bilbo!~
I’ve read a shitload of articles that tell about US engineers going in and fixing stuff, then turning it over to the Iraqis who fail to maintain it.
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:11 pmThey show up for their paychecks, just not for work, like maintaining stuff.
Under Sadaam they’d be shot for doing that, but nobody’s shooting them, so why bother when you can just show up for the paycheck.
I live in central Florida and I can’t get decent water piped into my home. I have to buy filters or buy bottled. The water wars are coming, after the oil wars peter out.
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:44 pm#RUCerious Says:
Cue the trolls calling for the Iraqis to pay for it with their oil money!
Hey, I take exception to that. I called for them to pay for it out of their oil profits. It doesn’t seem right that the Iraqi government has that much cash lying around and they are not using it to help their people.
I do think that we had a moral obligation to fix what we broke, but the chance for that happening is long gone. The US contractors have already stolen all the money they can get and now they aren’t even trying any longer.
Someone has to help the Iraqi’s. That 79 billion belongs to all the people in Iraq. Why shouldn’t they be using it to make their citizen’s lives better.
August 24th, 2008 at 12:01 amAh, made in America, neo-con greed and stupidity, on parade in Iraq for all the world to see and marvel at… Bush just had to invade and occupy and overthrow a quiet brutal Saddam dictatorship (originally installed by the CIA, no less) where the Iraqi people had jobs, houses (usually only one per family, except for Saddam’s buddies who had six to twelve, you know, in the Grampy McHouse range..), food, health care, electricity and gasp, water to drink and clean and bath with.
Bush has managed to wreck the country and to turn Iraq into a total shambles, with one million dead Iraqis, more than a million injured or wounded, millions forced into exile, with food, water, jobs and security in short supply. Heck of a job, moron…
August 24th, 2008 at 12:02 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
Someone has to help the Iraqi’s. That 79 billion belongs to all the people in Iraq. Why shouldn’t they be using it to make their citizen’s lives better.
___________
I can agree w/ this too, Bilbo…
August 24th, 2008 at 12:05 amBilbo, no offense, but we broke it. If they’d agree to use the money for trianing their cadre to maintain it, we could fix it and they could maintain it. I’d love to see them spend some of that oil money on their people, but if they don’t get trained and incentivised (?) to maintain the infrastructure systems, that money’ll wind up getting pissed away, no matter if it’s ours or theirs.
August 24th, 2008 at 12:07 amRUCerious Says:
I’d love to see them spend some of that oil money on their people, but if they don’t get trained and incentivised (?) to maintain the infrastructure systems, that money’ll wind up getting pissed away, no matter if it’s ours or theirs.
The problem is that they are not going to step up to the plate until we are gone. As long as we are occupying their country, there is no incentive for their government to do the right thing nor for their citizens to demand that their government do the right thing.
August 24th, 2008 at 12:19 amWho’s the Boss in this kleptocracy?
When the U.S. slips away from Iraq, slowly, the Shia will be the Boss of that particular kleptocracy. Until then, it’s George W. Bush.
One more thing: ‘We’ didn’t ‘break’ anything. George W. Bush invaded a sovereign nation based on lies. It would be like blaming 9-11 on Saudis or the Sunnis for foisting Osama bin Laden on the world; too easy and not right at all.
The time has long come and gone for all US soldiers to be long gone as well. Iraq is broken AND already paid for. No more trillions down the rathole, people.
August 24th, 2008 at 12:26 amHow are they going to grow those roses they are going to greet us with?
August 24th, 2008 at 12:35 amBilbo @#17, Yup, in agreement there mate.
August 24th, 2008 at 12:43 amIraquis should siege the mega US embassy,destroy the obscene complex and demand that the War Criminals responsible for destroying their infrastrucure in the name of Oil to be hanged!
August 24th, 2008 at 1:26 amOur tax dollars at work. Yes sirree.
August 24th, 2008 at 1:31 amSorry, don’t mean to be OT…
The Republican Senator from Arizona has a message to America…
“NO YOU McCANT”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpB9OoOU02M
.
August 24th, 2008 at 2:08 amSo the “surge” to kill the “enemy” worked fine, says McCain. But if an average Iraqi citizen wants a “surge” of water, over five years “after the fact”, they have to hit their alarm clocks to fill their storage tanks?! Uh, I’d say blusterful headlines and oil profits come before all of those “great stories you don’t hear about” that McFlubs & Co. all talk about. Because this is a “great story” that should be airing on all the nightly news telecasts. Then we should hear Grandpa’s manicured rebuttal that ends up in him talking more about the surge and how the job isn’t yet done, in-terms of not surrendering and needing to stop all the enemies left. Because citizens of the Iraqi nation, who need water and decent services are VERY, VERY dangerous to megalomaniacs who desire wars, killing and money for patriotic selfishness.
August 24th, 2008 at 2:24 amZed Lefflin Says:
If that was sarcasm, it’s no wonder “conservative humor” is an oxymoron.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:44 amNothing like a dry Democracy…
August 24th, 2008 at 5:44 amThe World Bank estimates that at least $14 billion is needed to refurbish Iraq’s water system.
There’s plenty of water for a theme park. But will Six Flags Baghdad use port-a-potties to conserve water? That would be a predictable catastrophe.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:52 ambarfly Says:
Zed Lefflin Says:
If that was sarcasm, it’s no wonder “conservative humor” is an oxymoron.
Zed is particularly pathetic. His unbelievably weak attempts at satire are so stupid I stopped reading his juvinile posts a couple of days after I started posting here.
August 24th, 2008 at 7:04 amThey’ve got billions in the bank, they can hire Israeli desert water specialists.
August 24th, 2008 at 7:35 amMcNumbNuts says the solution is a “surge” of clean water in Iraq.
August 24th, 2008 at 8:39 amThe government of Iraq doesn’t care about whether or not their citizens have clean water. This is what they care about.
From an Aug. 2, 2008 article:
Iraq to buy $9b weapons from U.S.
Baghdad, 02 August 2008 (Voices of Iraq)
The United States is about to make military sales to Iraq valued at nearly $9 billion, a Swiss daily newspaper said on Saturday.
The Pentagon has notified Congress of the proposed sales, according to a report published by the Swiss Le Matin.
http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/34586
August 24th, 2008 at 8:58 amIs this what victory brings? Let’s cut off the water to McCain’s 11 homes and see how he likes it.
http://www.sunstateactivist.org
August 24th, 2008 at 9:06 amOT but I can’t help myself … check out Pat Buchanan (again ), you’ve gotta love it when a true conservative call the neo cons and Mc cain’s foreign policy advizer a traitor . Obama needs to hire this guy !http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20590.htm
August 24th, 2008 at 9:58 amThe only question seems to be whether we get WWIII before or after the elections…. don’t forget to practice your goose step !
Max-1 Says:
Sorry, don’t mean to be OT…
The Republican Senator from Arizona has a message to America…
“NO YOU McCANT”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpB9OoOU02M
Thanks Max! I really hope that at least one person took McStain up on his offer of $50/hour to pick lettuce, and can present a bill to him at the end of the season! That would be priceless!
Also OT, but in case you didn’t see this OT post from last night, it’s worth a look:
“Speaking of which, here’s a billboard the Daily Show has rented out in the Twin Cities, near the airport, to welcome the Republican National Convention:
http://www.flickr.com/ photos/ thezeppelin/ 2784188452/ sizes/ l/
Posted by minnesconsin” (poster on TPM)
PEACE
August 24th, 2008 at 9:59 amThis is why you should never turn on the computer before having your first cup of coffee .
August 24th, 2008 at 10:07 amhttp://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20590.htm
I’m so glad that we stepped in to improve the Iraqi way of life!
August 24th, 2008 at 10:07 amZooey Says:
Just wait until the Iraqis start killing us for “our” water.
Couldn’t we just pay them with Aquafina to not shoot at us? :)~
August 24th, 2008 at 11:22 amWe could call it the Pepsico Awakening :)~
August 24th, 2008 at 11:26 amYeah but liters are much smaller than gallons.
/snark
August 24th, 2008 at 11:31 amExit Stage Left Says:
Couldn’t we just pay them with Aquafina to not shoot at us? :)~
August 24th, 2008 at 11:22 am
We could lob Aquafina water bombs at them. :D
August 24th, 2008 at 11:48 amNothing gets fixed until we get out. It will take a united Iraq to work for their common good on their terms. Our presence there gives the Iraqi government a built in excuse to blame us. I think we should set aside some serious money to pay for the damage we initiated in deciding to invade and occupy their country. The money could be released as redevelopment is completed. Infrastructure repairs ought to be common ground for all Iraqis to rally around. They should get the jobs and we should pay for it.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:55 amWho needs water when you have a tall, cool glass of freedom. They can vote, isnt that more important than water?
> Under Sadaam iraqi waterworkers would be
> shot for doing that, but nobody’s
> shooting them, so why bother when
> you can just show up for
> the paycheck.
Right..another thing is.. why actually WORK for your paycheck
when you could get a nice cushy job “not shooting at american soldiers” for 300$ a month, funded by U.S. taxpayers and arranged by General Betrayus?.?.
I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again. Bring back saddam. A country full of ignorant religious nuts needs a dictator to keep them in line. I have a 7 point plan for bringing back Saddam’s corpse and having a “weekend at Saddams” to get the country back on track. It involves animitonics, disney, a few thousand summary executions and a few hundred million dollars which im sure is an amount which is miniscule in comparison to all the american taxpayer money we are now using to bribe terrorists and insurgents to stop killing our troops…
August 24th, 2008 at 11:57 amI still think we are winning their hearts and minds.
August 24th, 2008 at 1:55 pmWater and power down
Un-employment up
Families torn apart
Homes a pile of rubble
Infrastructure broken
Hundreds of years of history gone
After so called Mission Accomplished, the Iraqi people demanded to do the work their self… said they could do it pennies on the dollar. Strange, I can no longer find that article in google…
The continued chaos, death and destruction the gangsters in the White House are responsible for is ON PURPOSE.
Keep the Iraqi people confused, in despair until mission is truly accomplished.
August 24th, 2008 at 3:58 pmCome on you librals – its not like water is needed for sanitation. Its not like, in the hot dessert, one needs drinking water.
August 24th, 2008 at 9:45 pmThe World Bank estimates that at least $14 billion is needed to refurbish Iraq’s water system. …after it was destroyed by two wars and 10 years of US-led sanctions.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:51 am