Iraq is worse off than before the war, GAO reports

[Eloriel]

By Seth Borenstein
Knight Ridder Newspapers
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/9041465.htm

WASHINGTON - In a few key areas - electricity, the judicial system and overall security - the Iraq that America handed back to its residents Monday is worse off than before the war began last year, according to calculations in a new General Accounting Office report released Tuesday.

The 105-page report by Congress' investigative arm offers a bleak assessment of Iraq after 14 months of U.S. military occupation. Among its findings:

-In 13 of Iraq's 18 provinces, electricity was available fewer hours per day on average last month than before the war. Nearly 20 million of Iraq's 26 million people live in those provinces.

-Only $13.7 billion of the $58 billion pledged and allocated worldwide to rebuild Iraq has been spent, with another $10 billion about to be spent. The biggest chunk of that money has been used to run Iraq's ministry operations.

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[Webster Green]

1. Halliburton doing just fine though....

Everything is A-OK

[stellanoir]

2. and oddly Challabi's pockets jingle whenever

he takes a step. . .very strange medical mystery that is

[tom_paine]

3. I am actually quite amazed this report saw the light of day

Can you IMAGINE how bad it must REALLY be if the Busheviks let this report get out?

Wow, now THAT'S bad.

[Manix]

4. ..yeah but Cheney's still getting his checks from Halliburton...it's OK

[reprehensor]

5. Bump for an oldie but a goodie. n/t

[Demeter]

6. News Flash: It's Bad in US, Too!

This war has done nothing for this country, not even a little feverish economic boom. An administration that can't even manufacture fake prosperity for an election (BECAUSE they've pulled every string for the last 3.5 years trying to float the economy already) is a REAL failure.

[wellst0nev0ter]

7. Why Does The GAO Hate America?

No really, does the GAO rather have OSaddam Bin Laden terrorizing Eye-Rack?

[teryang]

8. Iraq's oil revenues have virtually disappeared into

...American pockets with little or no accounting.

Take a look at the daily litany of death and disaster on:

http://www.icasualties.org/oif/

Their selection of reports cataloging a most diastrous and wrongheader war and occupation places the events there in the proper context, without Kobe and the endless propaganda and corporate memes.

What happened to "we're turning the corner" and "these attacks are not tactically significant?"