In Iraq, no power for the people (electricity still intermittent)

[Barrett808]

In Iraq, no power for the people
By PATRICK MARTIN
From Monday's Globe and Mail

Baghdad — It can happen at any time — when you're in the shower, on the computer, in an elevator or on the toilet. Power outages.

These days in the Iraqi capital, most people get three hours of electricity followed by three hours of none. But even that's not certain. And with temperatures this week topping 50 degrees every day, the lack of electricity to power air conditioners and fans has begun to rival the lack of security as the greatest concern to Iraqis.

Ali al-Amri, 29, runs a small grocery in the capital's Karada neighbourhood. Freezers that once held meat and frozen foods now contain only bottles of pop and water and a block of ice he buys every day to keep them cool. “I'd love to sell ice cream,” he said in his darkened shop, “but there's no way to keep it frozen.”

Bigger stores, businesses and hotels employ their own large generators to fill in the gaps, and downtown Baghdad reverberates with the droning noise of hundreds of the machines.

The smell of kerosene is everywhere.

(more)

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040711.wxiraq0712/BNStory/Front/

[wryter2000]

1. But, but, but

My brother-in-law's housekeeper's hairdresser sent me an e-mail from an Army guy in Iraq saying the power was more dependable than when Saddam was in charge. The army guy even thanked me for not believing the bad news I hear in the liberal media.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. "broke it, buy it"

It is going to take a while before things collapse all together in Iraq, but it is coming.

I wonder how positive the citizens would have been about this war had they been forced to make a personal down payment on it and monthly installments to fund it. Someday, somebody is going to have to pay for this mess.

[TahitiNut]

3. "temperatures this week topping 50 degrees"? Sounds OK to me.

:silly: (Yeah, I know. Celsius.)