Moving the Cotton:
A Point Counterpoint on the Iraq Occupation
The following remarks by an Occupation
spokesperson are commented on (in italics) by Ahmed Khurrufa, 32, an Iraqi friend
of the Voices in the Wilderness (VITW) team in Baghdad. Source: VITW.
Since George Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1…the first battalion
of the new Iraqi Army has graduated and is on active duty. Over 60,000 Iraqis
now provide security to their fellow citizens.
But we’ve never felt more insecure. Though the security is improving
(regardless of bombing and terrorist attacks. I am only referring to robbery
and kidnapping), Baghdad is still far from being a safe city. I started using
my (relatively new) car a few weeks ago after having kept it in my garage for
about six months. I still never go out alone, and I know many who have not returned
to using their new cars yet. It’s been over eight months now [since the
invasion] and it’s still far from being safe enough.
Nearly all of Iraq’s courts are functioning. The Iraqi judiciary is fully
independent.
We certainly hope so, but no one is sure about that yet. Only time can prove
whether our judiciary system is really independent and just.
On October 6, power generation hit 4,518 megawatts (MW) – exceeding the
pre-war average.
Unfortunately I’m not sure of the number for the pre-war average, but
let me give you some facts:
• Iraq’s power generation was about 10,000 MW before the first Gulf
War in 1991.
• Now, Iraq’s power need is about 20,000 MW, and the 4,518 MW is only
about a quarter of what we need. So the best we’ll have is about six hours
a day during peak seasons.
• Before the war, Baghdad used to have an average of 18-24 hours a day
in mid-summer and mid-winter. And it was almost full time during autumn and
spring. Now, as an average, we have electricity about eight hours a day.
• The construction of any major power generation plant (in the range of
a thousand MW) takes from three to five years. So far no such action has been
taken or even considered. So we can’t expect any noticeable improvement
for some years to come.
All 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are
nearly all primary and secondary schools.
That’s true. But every now and then a school gets a warning about a
bomb. So many parents are afraid to send their kids to schools, and when they
do so, they are deeply worried. Most of the university laboratories were looted,
but new ones have not been prepared yet.
By October 1, Coalition forces had rehabbed over 1,500 schools – 500 more
than their target.
As for schools, well, Kathy [Kelly] has replied to that accurately: “Several
articles have already been written about the poor quality of school rehabs.
Loads of paint have been applied so that buildings look better from the outside,
but inside there hasn’t been adequate rehab of plumbing systems, water
systems, and insulation from rain.”
Small amounts of money were given to contractors without monitoring. The contractors
did some fixing, especially painting, and stole the rest of the money. End of
story.
Teachers earn from 12 to 25 times their former salaries.
Inflation
True, but the extra money is being spent in ways that did not exist before.
People are spending money to subscribe for a few amperes to get some electricity
from the large generators that can be found in many neighborhoods now. An ampere
is sold for about $2-3 a month. So for the minimum useful amount of five amperes,
one will have to pay $10-15 a month. (A teacher’s salary now ranges from
$60-120 a month, maybe a little bit more.) Those who are not willing to stand
in the fuel queue will have to buy fuel in the black market for about 20 times
its official price. The same for kerosene. Many things like meat and vegetables
are almost double their previous prices.
Only electrical equipment and cars got cheaper; everything else got more expensive,
eating the few extra bucks that were given.
We have restored over three-quarters of pre-war phone services and over two-thirds
of the potable water production.
The telephone lines that are working now are basically those that had not
been damaged in the first place. After about eight months, only about 15% of
those damaged have been restored. No one expected fixing phone service to take
that long.
As for water, well, it’s too vital. You didn’t expect the US to leave
us without water…or did you?
The wheels of commerce are turning. From bicycles to satellite dishes to cars
and trucks, businesses are coming to life in all major cities and towns.
That’s something I’ve always wanted to comment on.
Allowing tens of thousands of air conditioners to come into the country (tax-free)
when we have an extreme shortage of power generation is not a smart thing to
do. I don’t know if you know this, but a single air conditioning unit consumes
about 15 amperes, while all our house consumes about ten amperes.
Allowing about 500,000 cars to enter the country (tax-free) when we have an
extreme shortage of fuel is also not a smart thing to do. What has happened
is more fuel shortage and more traffic jams thanks to no traffic lights due
to absence of electricity. I used to drive to work in about 20 minutes; now
it takes from 40 to 90 minutes!
Improved Banking
Ninety five per cent of all pre-war bank customers have service and first-time
customers are opening accounts daily. Iraqi banks are making loans to finance
businesses. The central bank is fully independent. Iraq has one of the world’s
most growth-oriented investment and banking laws. Iraq has a single, unified
currency for the first time in 15 years.
Well, we are definitely happy to finally have a decently printed currency.
Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1:
• Satellite dishes are legal.
Thank God! We needed something to spend our time with because no one now
dares to leave home after 9pm.
• Foreign journalists aren’t on 10-day visas paying mandatory and
extortionate fees to the Ministry of Information for “minders” and
other government spies.
• There’s no Ministry of Information.
That’s something we are really grateful for. Really.
• There are more than 170 newspapers.
Many newspapers, but not 170. Anyway Iraqis are finally back to reading newspapers.
Many had stopped doing so for a long time.
• You can buy satellite dishes on what seems like every street corner.
For the first few months after the occupation [began], all Iraqis were either
selling satellite reception systems, or buying them. That was the only thing
going.
• Foreign journalists and everyone else are free to come and go.
But they are afraid to come. Baghdad is no more a safe place for foreigners.
A nation that had not one single element – legislative, judicial, or executive
– of a representative government, does. In Baghdad alone residents have
selected 88 advisory councils. Baghdad’s first democratic transfer of power
in 35 years happened when the city council elected its new chairman.
Today in Iraq chambers of commerce, business, school and professional organizations
are electing their leaders all over the country. Twenty-five ministers, selected
by the most representative governing body in Iraq’s history, run the day-to-day
business of government.
Did it ever happen anywhere in the world that the religion of the minister
of each ministry is determined before selecting the minister? Regardless of
the minister’s ability, the way they were chosen arouses many question
marks – let alone exclamation marks. But something is definitely better
than nothing.
The problem of each minister promoting those having the same religion as his
is a different story, and I don’t believe that the Americans are to be
blamed for this.
Uday and Quesay [Saddam’s sons] are dead – and no longer feeding innocent
Iraqis to zoo lions, raping the young daughters of local leaders to force cooperation,
torturing Iraq’s soccer players for losing games…murdering critics.
Children aren’t imprisoned or murdered when their parents disagree with
the government.
We are definitely happy that Uday and Quesay are gone, but now the possibility
of being blown up or getting caught in a crossfire is much higher than getting
into trouble with Uday and Quesay. Two terrorists are gone, but replaced by
hundreds. (Note that I’m not referring to the US Army, but to those who
kill innocent Iraqis and then claim to be the resistance.)
Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1… Political
opponents aren’t imprisoned, tortured, executed, maimed or forced to watch
their families die for disagreeing with Saddam. Millions of longsuffering Iraqis
no longer live in perpetual terror.
That eases our pain.
Saudis will hold municipal elections. Qatar is reforming education to give more
choices to parents. Jordan is accelerating market economic reforms. The Nobel
Peace Prize was awarded for the first time to an Iranian – a Muslim woman
who speaks out with courage for human rights and democracy and for peace.
And let me add: Iraq is now a complete mess.
Yes, things are getting better, but very slowly. So slowly that we are not expecting
things to get back to normal for months to come. We modified our hopes from
a few months to a few years and we are very sad to have reached this conclusion.
Till this moment we are not even close to the pre-war situation. Yes we can
have satellite dishes, and we have many newspapers. But put all such stuff on
one side of a balance, and the absence of electricity, security and fuel on
the other, and you tell me which side will go down.
The Coalition did a very lousy job. We are not asking them to admit it, but
at least let them keep quiet and not go bragging about it.
As one Iraqi said, “The Americans took the cotton out of our mouths and
put it in their ears.”