by Frank James
Stuart Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraqi reconstruction, is using a memorable phrase to describe the corruption that continues to be a major drag on U.S. efforts to rebuild that nation’s infrastructure. He calls it “a second insurgency” in the quarterly report his office issued today.
This is one of those catchy terms that’s likely to be frequently repeated on Capitol Hill and elsewhere by opponents of a continued prolonged U.S. effort in Iraq.
And while the military surge has had an impact in reducing violence in some parts of Iraq, the problem for U.S. policymakers is that the surge of U.S. and Iraqi security forces is helpless to stop this second insurgency.
Here’s how the Associated Press is reporting the story.
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By ANDREW BRIDGES, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — An Iraqi power plant rebuilt with tens of millions of U.S. dollars fell into disrepair once transferred to the Baghdad government, according to the U.S. office that tracks reconstruction spending.
The Iraqis’ failure to maintain the 320-megawatt Dora plant, considered an important source of power for electricity-starved Baghdad, is just one of the issues hindering attempts to rebuild the country, the latest audit report to Congress concludes.
Also crippling the efforts are anemic capital spending by Iraq’s central government ministries and its provinces; continued challenges faced by contractors in fulfilling the terms of their contracts; and endemic corruption.