Sazar
09-14-04, 10:34 PM
in a positive sign more money is being allocated to security... it is unfortunate that this comes @ the expense of items such as sewage/water and electricity, some of which are still way below the levels when saddam was in power... but the state department is right in saying that w/o security many of the projects they wish to pursue are unlikely to progress...
The United States announced it will shift more than $3 billion earmarked for Iraqi reconstruction to improve security and oil production, the State Department said Tuesday.
The news came the same day that insurgents launched two deadly assaults at Iraqi police targets -- killing 47 people in a car bombing at a police recruit line in Baghdad and 12 police officers in a drive-by shooting in Baquba.
"Without security, there's no possibility, as many power plants as you have, to actually get electricity, water, sewage, power to Iraqis," said Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman. "And so that's why so much of this money and the reallocation that you see is moving toward security."
In order to offset the redirection of money, the United States will reduce spending on water and sewage projects by $1.9 billion and electricity by $1 billion.
Iraq has identified improving water, sewage and electricity as important reconstruction projects. Robin Raphel, a former ambassador who now works on Iraqi reconstruction issues at the State Department, acknowledged that few Iraqis have access to potable water and that most receive electricity for about half the day only.
But Grossman said Iraqis "understand our priorities and certainly understand the issue that if there's no security, nothing else is going to get done."
U.S. officials also plan to divert $450 million into Iraq's oil sector to increase production during the next six to eight months in an effort to create extra income to pay for the shortfall caused by the redirection of funds.
"The specific projects that they will target with this $450 million have an early payoff according to the engineers, according to the analysis that was done," Raphel said.
In October 2003, Congress appropriated $87 billion to help fund the war in Iraq -- $18.7 billion of which was set aside for reconstruction. About $4.08 billion of that was allocated for sewage, water and electricity projects.
The State Department said about $650 million of that $4.08 billion has already been spent.
U.S. officials have said most of the funding earmarked for reconstruction was not being spent because poor security was preventing projects from being completed.
this may also keep a coupla of aid agencies who are thinking about leaving due to increased insurgency and security risks from following through on that and stay and help the civilians in iraq...
The United States announced it will shift more than $3 billion earmarked for Iraqi reconstruction to improve security and oil production, the State Department said Tuesday.
The news came the same day that insurgents launched two deadly assaults at Iraqi police targets -- killing 47 people in a car bombing at a police recruit line in Baghdad and 12 police officers in a drive-by shooting in Baquba.
"Without security, there's no possibility, as many power plants as you have, to actually get electricity, water, sewage, power to Iraqis," said Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman. "And so that's why so much of this money and the reallocation that you see is moving toward security."
In order to offset the redirection of money, the United States will reduce spending on water and sewage projects by $1.9 billion and electricity by $1 billion.
Iraq has identified improving water, sewage and electricity as important reconstruction projects. Robin Raphel, a former ambassador who now works on Iraqi reconstruction issues at the State Department, acknowledged that few Iraqis have access to potable water and that most receive electricity for about half the day only.
But Grossman said Iraqis "understand our priorities and certainly understand the issue that if there's no security, nothing else is going to get done."
U.S. officials also plan to divert $450 million into Iraq's oil sector to increase production during the next six to eight months in an effort to create extra income to pay for the shortfall caused by the redirection of funds.
"The specific projects that they will target with this $450 million have an early payoff according to the engineers, according to the analysis that was done," Raphel said.
In October 2003, Congress appropriated $87 billion to help fund the war in Iraq -- $18.7 billion of which was set aside for reconstruction. About $4.08 billion of that was allocated for sewage, water and electricity projects.
The State Department said about $650 million of that $4.08 billion has already been spent.
U.S. officials have said most of the funding earmarked for reconstruction was not being spent because poor security was preventing projects from being completed.
this may also keep a coupla of aid agencies who are thinking about leaving due to increased insurgency and security risks from following through on that and stay and help the civilians in iraq...