Reconstruction Projects
More than 200 Americans have died in Iraq working on reconstruction projects. Many of those projects are failures at a huge financial cost to American taxpayers. The special inspector general for Iraq blames the failures on poor construction, corruption and the ongoing violence.
The sewer system at the Irbil Maternity and Pediatric Hospital, doesn't work causing medical waste and contaminated water to back up into patients' rooms. Last year, our government insisted the hospital was providing first rate care, but now it's a $7 million example of a U.S. financed reconstruction effort gone wrong.
The special inspector general for reconstruction, found providing Iraqis with electricity, clean water and sewage treatment to be a continuing problem. He admitted: “We made bad choices in terms of the large projects, and then we put it all in a very fast timetable thinking that we could get the stuff done and get out of town.”
Congress budgeted some $20 billion to rebuild Iraq. More than 80 percent of that money has been spent, but most Iraqis don't feel it’s brought them a better life. The latest report looked at $150 million worth of projects. Most of the projects are no longer in working order.
At Baghdad International Airport, 17 power generators costing $12 million were delivered 16 months ago. Today, 10 are no longer working. A $5 million barracks at the airport for Iraqi special forces, doesn't have enough water to flush the toilets.
Iraqis see less than 30 cents on the dollar of reconstruction money turn into real improvements in their daily lives. The insurgency and government corruption in Iraq and poor U.S. management are to blame. The inspector general's work has already resulted in nearly half a dozen convictions, but there are another 79 cases pending of alleged wrongdoing. Twenty-eight of them awaiting Justice Department prosecution.
There are a number of contractors that have been disbarred from bidding on government contracts because of their wrongdoing in Iraq. The criminal cases are referred to the Justice Department, but names of the general contractors or government agencies responsible for the mismanagement of these projects are not available until there's a conviction.
The sewer system at the Irbil Maternity and Pediatric Hospital, doesn't work causing medical waste and contaminated water to back up into patients' rooms. Last year, our government insisted the hospital was providing first rate care, but now it's a $7 million example of a U.S. financed reconstruction effort gone wrong.
The special inspector general for reconstruction, found providing Iraqis with electricity, clean water and sewage treatment to be a continuing problem. He admitted: “We made bad choices in terms of the large projects, and then we put it all in a very fast timetable thinking that we could get the stuff done and get out of town.”
Congress budgeted some $20 billion to rebuild Iraq. More than 80 percent of that money has been spent, but most Iraqis don't feel it’s brought them a better life. The latest report looked at $150 million worth of projects. Most of the projects are no longer in working order.
At Baghdad International Airport, 17 power generators costing $12 million were delivered 16 months ago. Today, 10 are no longer working. A $5 million barracks at the airport for Iraqi special forces, doesn't have enough water to flush the toilets.
Iraqis see less than 30 cents on the dollar of reconstruction money turn into real improvements in their daily lives. The insurgency and government corruption in Iraq and poor U.S. management are to blame. The inspector general's work has already resulted in nearly half a dozen convictions, but there are another 79 cases pending of alleged wrongdoing. Twenty-eight of them awaiting Justice Department prosecution.
There are a number of contractors that have been disbarred from bidding on government contracts because of their wrongdoing in Iraq. The criminal cases are referred to the Justice Department, but names of the general contractors or government agencies responsible for the mismanagement of these projects are not available until there's a conviction.
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