Topic: Progress Being Made on Iraqi Reconstruction
Softballmom
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Progress Being Made on Iraqi Reconstruction, Official Says
By Steven Donald Smith American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2006 - Significant progress is being made on Iraqi reconstruction projects, while economic prospects continue to grow, a U.S. official told reporters via telephone from Baghdad yesterday. "In spite of difficult challenges, significant progress is being made on reconstruction," Ambassador Daniel Speckhard, director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, said, "and in what I see out here, that is having an effect on the Iraqi economy. ... You can't separate these two."
The Iraqi economy is expected to grow by roughly 3 percent this year and by about 10 percent next year. About 30,000 businesses were formally registered in the course of the last year, which shows a "dynamism" that is obvious to the Iraqi people, Speckhard said.
The director said around half of the current electricity being produced in Iraq is the result of coalition rehabilitation projects, and "about 75 percent of the oil production today is the result of rehabilitations that have been done through U.S.-supported projects."
Iraqis are increasingly taking charge of many of these reconstruction efforts, he noted.
"We're getting Iraqis much more involved in the process of making decisions on projects," he said. "The real focus here is trying to accelerate the transition to self-sufficiency in Iraq in terms of their ability to carry the progress forward that we've started."
The office is setting up provincial reconstruction teams that will combine military and civilian engineers, rule-of-law experts, economists, aid directors and contractors to help support the Iraqis in this endeavor, he said.
"We have a program where we're trying to improve training for the operation and maintenance of all of our projects and the ministries technical capacity to support these projects," Speckhard said. He added his office is also working with the government to make sure Iraqis understand the challenges in having proper budget resources to maintain and support the infrastructure the U.S. has helped develop.
The U.S. has also greatly improved the Iraqi water and sewage systems. "When you look at clean water and sewer, we have added capacity for several million Iraqis in water and over 4 million in sewage," he said.
In addition, Speckhard spoke about other U.S. contributions in Iraq, such as the fact that Americans have trained more than 30,000 teachers and provided 8 million new textbooks to Iraqi schools, as well as offered vaccines against measles and polio to more than 5 million children.
The United States has helped with several of the "most pressing needs," in Iraq, like water and electricity, Speckhard said, but he added that reconstruction progress cannot be calculated in isolated sections. "It's all integrated and we will be judged on the integrated package," he said.
"My sense on this is that we'll be judged on how well we are able to support the capacity development of this new permanent Iraqi government," Speckhard said.
-------------------- It's not the Lyme, I just can't spell! Posts: 1331 | From North Carolina | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
How many Iraqis died in Iraq in this effort that supposedly liberated them? Not to mention, that they never asked for our help, nor was it our stated reason for going there in the first place.
I wonder how many Iranians will die, if we invade them?
How would you feel about it, if someone came over here to liberate us, and just happened to kill your friends and family, overthrow our government and destroy our infrastructure? I don't think I would like it. I don't think you would either.
Posts: 856 | From Texas | Registered: Jan 2005
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LabRat
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I wonder how many Americans will die if we don't? Your in top form this morning!
Posts: 1887 | From Corpus Christi, Texas | Registered: Oct 2000
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Softballmom
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I understand your detest but can you put that aside at all and see any good that is coming out of this?
And alot of Iraqi's are gratefull for the changes being made.
-------------------- It's not the Lyme, I just can't spell! Posts: 1331 | From North Carolina | Registered: Sep 2004
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lymie tony z
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Sunni's have and are still killing a lot more Iraqi's then we ever did.
We are already liberated so we don't need liberating.
If a number of Iranians go get some virgins...I sure hope it's the same amount that have sworn to kill all Americans... or don't you see that in all your vast searches for the truth...
I hear a bird too guys...it's the great American Eagle...bigger and louder than your little tweeters....
zman
-------------------- I am not a doctor...opinions expressed are from personal experiences only and should never be viewed as coming from a healthcare provider. zman Posts: 2527 | From safety harbor florida(origin Cleve., Ohio | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
I wish we had a better way to truly find out whether Iraqis are glad we did this. How can we really sift through all the disinformation and know what is true and what is not?
We do know that a lot of Iraqis have died. We do know that we thrown many in Prison Camps, without due process. We do know that some (we don't know the number) have been tortured. One, is too many.
Some may have been glad that we overthrew Saddam. That really wasn't our business though. What are we... the police of the world? Geez... this was a sovereign nation!
I wonder how many are glad we are still there after all this time?
You've got to know that we, (our elected gov't) wants to put the best "spin" on this as possible, to give support for their continuring actions.
Again, I wish there was a way to know the truth. I do know that it isn't right to incarcerate someone without due process, nor is it right to torture ANYONE. Nor, do I think we had any business invading them in the first place.
quote:Originally posted by Softballmom: I understand your detest but can you put that aside at all and see any good that is coming out of this?
And alot of Iraqi's are gratefull for the changes being made.
quote:Originally posted by lymie tony z: I hear a bird too guys...it's the great American Eagle...bigger and louder than your little tweeters....
zman
Don't even PRETEND to be patriotic, Tony. You see no problem with World Government and trashing our Constitition!
Posts: 856 | From Texas | Registered: Jan 2005
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[ 14. March 2006, 02:58 PM: Message edited by: Mo ]
Posts: 8337 | From the other shore | Registered: Jul 2002
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LabRat
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T-post, there are some things you'll have to ``guess'' out for yourself, I'm not a mind reader nor can I for see the future. Having said that, let's take a country of unstable idiots that'll blow themselves up for the whiff of a low mileage virgin, give them a nuke and given that they hate us and don't like anyone else very much, I would be inclined to believe trouble would ensue.
Just a word about propaganda, wouldn't it be nice if our opponents let us know they were spreading propaganda about us. Is it your belief that only America uses propaganda?
Posts: 1887 | From Corpus Christi, Texas | Registered: Oct 2000
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quote:Originally posted by LabRat: T-post, there are some things you'll have to ``guess'' out for yourself, I'm not a mind reader nor can I for see the future. Having said that, let's take a country of unstable idiots that'll blow themselves up for the whiff of a low mileage virgin, give them a nuke and given that they hate us and don't like anyone else very much, I would be inclined to believe trouble would ensue.
They are human beings, Labrat. We don't have the right to kill whoever the heck we want to. They had almost made it to a 1st world country (from a 3rd world country. That is, until we bombed them into oblivion.
Just a word about propaganda, wouldn't it be nice if our opponents let us know they were spreading propaganda about us. Is it your belief that only America uses propaganda?
No, of course not. But, who has the ability and money to do that in Iraq now? Have you noticed how many of the Iraqi press have been murdered? I wonder why that's happening.
Posts: 856 | From Texas | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
American main stream media is historically speaking at the height of propaganda, independant journalism is dead in the mainstream.
I am not saying the French or German media is not also beholden to their government.. however at least it offers a different perspective. In this day it is essential to look at all perspectives so you can form an informed opinion.
-- regarding the article noone will read.. that is an interview with an Iraqi novelist. This is not a propaganda piece, it is her perspective as an Iraqi... and her background is clearly not beholden to Terror regimes.
There is no way you can offer credible judgement on how things are going in Iraq, if you will only look at the American media perspective, and those who are saying it's going well..
there is no way that judgement is solid if you do not also at least look at conditions on the ground in Iraq from their perspective as well.
Then make your judgement.
Mo
Posts: 8337 | From the other shore | Registered: Jul 2002
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Softballmom
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quote:Originally posted by Mo: There is no way you can offer credible judgement on how things are going in Iraq, if you will only look at the American media perspective, and those who are saying it's going well..
Mo
Mo, all I am trying to say is that you and others provide us with plenty of material telling that all is not going well.
What I am trying to do is just post some things that are going well.
Maybe to your opinion these articles don't mean a hill of beans compared to the other stuff.
But I think what you are misunderstanding is that there is an overabundance of all the other stuff that clouds what you may think is very little progress but to others may appear to substantial.
Did I word all that right?
I did read your article, but honestly I could have told you just about everything it was going to say before I even opened it because we hear it all the time.
The fact that you believe that the Iraqi side is not being told boggles my mind.
-------------------- It's not the Lyme, I just can't spell! Posts: 1331 | From North Carolina | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
There were allot of things in that article I have not heard anything on in our mainstream media.
...and allot I have not posted specifically on, all I have said is things are being told from one perspective here in the US, and overall reminders of how conditions have not improved....but worsened. These gotten from snippets..nothing really in depth.. except from Human Rights Groups and studies.
I'm sorry but don't understand how you could say you knew what this woman was going to write about before you read it..I can't even say that.
Plus, we rarely get insights from Iraqis or those speaking on behalf of the people, and when we do, they are immediately dismissed..
see ---- to me, it is not a matter of 'opinion'.. it's a matter of getting a wide range of information before forming one.. and then being open to new info along the way.
Mo
-------------------- life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage -- anais nin Posts: 8337 | From the other shore | Registered: Jul 2002
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LabRat
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Do you think this woman will try and sell a book? So one negative voice, 25,000,000 to go (just to be fair and balanced)!
Posts: 1887 | From Corpus Christi, Texas | Registered: Oct 2000
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lymie tony z
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MO mo,
You put up a thread for Balance!?
We would have to put up 25 or so threads a day for real balance given how prolific you guys are.
Now what's REALLY out of balance here.
hey t...if you refer back to that thread you will notice that I referred you as being gullible.
In other words I only put that stuff up there to expose the fact that you'll believe anything which is what gullible folks will do...
Gee...sorry you did'nt get it!
As far as propaganda goes...this board is a prime example of anti-american propaganda. It's prolific posters are trying to instill fear and distrust of our government to ultimately lead to a revolution.
Propaganda101...
I'm just real glad there are smarter folks out here that realize who and what you folks are....
Don't trip on your way to pick up your check from your neo-nazi, paintball shooting, militia group...
Just my opinion but I thought one that deserves scrutiny...
zman
-------------------- I am not a doctor...opinions expressed are from personal experiences only and should never be viewed as coming from a healthcare provider. zman Posts: 2527 | From safety harbor florida(origin Cleve., Ohio | Registered: Jan 2004
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