Iraq's Reconstruction Effort

[Warman17]

Here are some statistics published by the Army Corps of Engineers using data from Stanley Baker Hill LLC from the Iraq Reconstruction Management System. These are cumulative reports:

October:
http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/factsheets/docs/October_2007.pdf

September:
http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/factsheets/docs/September_2007.pdf

I've already compiled a list of differences to see what exactly was achieved in October:

Electricity:
Added 4 33/11 kV substations, added 20 megawatts

Oil:
No change, 1 project finished.

Water:
+300,000 cubic meters per day of water treatment, 300,000 left

Transport:
12 new railroad projects completed
4 missing completed village roadway projects, yet 6 less on-going projects
21 more aviation projects completed
21 new port projects completed

Health: (are these for real?)
195 health care centers (basically doubled the amount in one month)
81 new hospital renovation projects completed (16->97)
519 school projects finished (1004->1523)

Security:
127 new border posts (155 -> 282)
20 new point of entry facilities (5->25)
14 new fire station projects
33 new finished courthouse projects (40->73)



In other words there seems to have been huge leaps in health services, as well as I believe water treatment, as well as security. However I seem skeptical of what these numbers mean, there seems to be some huge jumps in October. What exactly constitutes a "project"? And theres those 4 missing village roadway projects.

Anyways what do you think about the Iraqi reconstruction? Is it going well, is it terrible, has there been any real progress, do you call shenanigans on these statistics?

 

[Zhuge_Liang]

No comment...........

 

[Warman17]

so no one has any guesses as to if the reconstruction i going well or not, or if it even matters at this point (Iraqis seemingly hate us regardless).

 

[Gelion]

I think three things:
They will keep the hate no matter what
I dont trust the figures that much (doesn't square with what I hear from other sources)
You need to organise Soviet-Japanese summit IIRC.

 

[skadistic]

so no one has any guesses as to if the reconstruction i going well or not, or if it even matters at this point (Iraqis seemingly hate us regardless).

Iraqis don't hate us. If they did they would be fighting alongside AlQueda in stead of against. They hate each other. Shia -vs- sunni. And yes reconstruction is doing very well.

 

[Mountain-God]

Reconstruction is going well, on paper.

If you take into account the infrastructure that was destroyed and being rebuilt

And then there's the Vietnam comparison ie lots of sexy secure villages and data being posted but nothing real.

I remember an account of a construction project in Cambodia - visited by Prince Sihanouk - a flush toilet installed in a village - but to fool the prince, a wee guy behind the wall, pouring water into the toilet - because it wasn't done. And never was

Moral of the story: Use your head

Still, can't be all bad - but let's be realistic.

 

[LesCanadiens]

Iraqis don't hate us. If they did they would be fighting alongside AlQueda in stead of against. They hate each other. Shia -vs- sunni. And yes reconstruction is doing very well.

Approximately 80% of attacks are against Coalition forces. Only 10% are sectarian attacks.

 

[skadistic]

Approximately 80% of attacks are against Coalition forces. Only 10% are sectarian attacks.

Really? Care to back those numbers up? And what is the other 10%? If you are going to pull numbers out of thin air at least make them add up.

 

[Ecofarm]

@MountainGod:

Vietnam comparision? Pa-lease. There are UN personel all over the place. Several nations involved. Independant reporters. Baised reporters. Etc. Etc. Etc.

There are plenty sources for varification of data. There are plenty of sources that can either confirm or deny these findings.

Before you go and declare this data ficticious, how about providing a source (besides your own conspiracy theory) that the numbers are invented?

Why don't you "use your head" and seek evidence instead of making blanket statements solely for the purpose of detracting from positive stories?

@LesCanadiens: Source? Does "coalition forces" include Iraqi-US teams (and could this be considered sectarian violence)? Can we tell whether those attacks are founded in agression against the US or Shites? Anyway, a source would help clarify.

 

[scherbchen]

recommending: No End in Sight

 

[Mountain-God]

@MountainGod:
Vietnam comparision? Pa-lease. There are UN personel all over the place. Several nations involved. Independant reporters. Baised reporters. Etc. Etc. Etc.

The terribly obvious point of my the comparison was to suggest looking past bare-faced statistics and to those sources you're telling me off for not looking at.

But let's be honest, your real problem is me bringing up Vietnam naughty.

Finally, I like to quote myself

Still, can't be all bad - but let's be realistic.

 

[LesCanadiens]

Really? Care to back those numbers up? And what is the other 10%? If you are going to pull numbers out of thin air at least make them add up.

I am so sick and tired of people being so hostile and infantile. Would it have been too much for you to simply state "I would like to see a citation for that, please" instead of acting like you're on the rag?

Anyways...

 

[DNK]

My not so comprehensive, anecdotal addition: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/world/middleeast/06police.html

And I second the "these numbers have nothing behind them" motion. I mean, lets see:

Oil:
No change, 1 project finished. (entire oil field repaired or someone fixed a broken pump somewhere)

Water:
+300,000 cubic meters per day of water treatment, 300,000 left (300,000 left of that specific project or is all of Iraq now enjoying treated water, save those unlucky souls waiting for their 300,000)

Transport:
12 new railroad projects completed (entire line added from Basra to Iraq or someone fixed some lines destroyed by a bomb)
4 missing completed village roadway projects, yet 6 less on-going projects (4 villages now have miles of new, paved roads or 4 potholes were fixed)
21 more aviation projects completed (someone bought some screws for loose avionics panels)
21 new port projects completed (fixed creaky dock boards?)

Health: (are these for real?)
195 health care centers (basically doubled the amount in one month) (195 shacks with band-aids?)
81 new hospital renovation projects completed (16->97) (81 new paint jobs?)
519 school projects finished (1004->1523)

And so on. The point is this all means nothing without more information. With the money we're putting in I hope my pessimism isn't on the mark.

 

[Ecofarm]

And so on. The point is this all means nothing without more information. With the money we're putting in I hope my pessimism isn't on the mark.

I'd say you are way off the mark. I haven't read a single SIGIR (Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction) assessment on "screw replacement" or "potholes".

Anyway, here are the 2006 and 2007 assessments by SIGIR:

The following is a list of completed on-site assessments performed by SIGIR. Project assessment reports are provided (if available).

Report Number Report Title Report Size Report Date Sort

PA-07-105 Relief and Reconstruction Funded Work at the Mosul Dam 5,584 KB PDF 10/29/2007 39219
PA-07-108 Bartilla New Road Paving 1,604 KB PDF 10/23/2007 39218
PA-07-109 Bartilla Booster Pump Station Repair 1,846 KB PDF 10/23/2007 39217
PA-07-107 Showairrej to Tak Harb Road Paving 1,606 KB PDF 10/22/2007 39216
PA-07-106 Right Bank Drinking Water Treatment Plant Rehabilitation 2,314 KB PDF 10/22/2007 39215
PA-07-101 & 104 Qudas Power Plant Turbine Restoration Project and Qudas Power Plant Expansion Project 1,443 KB PDF 10/19/2007 39214
PA-07-099 Iraqi C-130 Base 2,113 KB PDF 07/24/2007 39213
PA-07-103 Doura Power Station Units 5 and 6 1,899 KB PDF 07/18/2007 39212
PA-07-102 Iraqi Ministry of Defense Headquarters Building 2,479 KB PDF 07/17/2007 39211
PA-07-098 Al Rasheed Brigade Set 2,261 KB PDF 07/17/2007 39210
PA-07-096 Sadr City Al Qana'at Raw Water Pump Station 1,169 KB PDF 07/12/2007 39209
PA-06-080 Al Basrah Oil Terminal 3,878 KB PDF 04/26/2007 39206
PA-06-090 Iraqi Civil Defense Headquarters 5,464 KB PDF 04/26/2007 39204
PA-07-097 Baghdad International Airport Power System Enhancement 3,242 KB PDF 04/26/2007 39202
PA-06-092 Gaugli Ashur Police Station 1,330 KB PDF 04/26/2007 39200
PA-06-091 Bab Shams Police Station 3,511 KB PDF 04/25/2007 39197
PA-06-087 & 088 Tallil Military Base Camp Ur 1,150 KB PDF 04/25/2007 39195
PA-07-100 West Baghdad International Airport Special Forces Barracks 3,268 KB PDF 04/24/2007 39194
PA-06-094 Erbil Maternity and Prediatric Hospital 5,083 KB PDF 04/19/2007 39191
PA-06-089 Al Hilla Recruiting Center 1,589 KB PDF 04/17/2007 39189
PA-06-078.2 & 079.2 Baghdad Police College 12,145 KB PDF 01/29/2007 38746
PA-06-077 402nd Battalion Iraqi Army Headquarters Barracks 1,732 KB PDF 01/29/2007 38744
PA-06-075 51st Brigade Iraqi Army Barracks 2,362 KB PDF 01/29/2007 38742
PA-06-074 Al Kasik Waste Water Treatment Plant 2,362 KB PDF 01/29/2007 38740
PA-06-082...086 Electrical Substation Sustainment 1,334 KB PDF 01/10/2006 38727
PA-06-065 Al Alwaiya Children’s Hospital 1,900 KB PDF 01/10/2006 38725
PA-06-071 Al Kasik Water Storage Tanks, Al Kasik Military Training Base 2,718 KB PDF 01/08/2006 38723
PA-06-070 Dahuk Rehabilitation Center 3,310 KB PDF 01/08/2006 38721
PA-06-064 Al Alwaiya Maternity Hospital 1,973 KB PDF 01/08/2006 38719
PA-06-076 Al Hillah Police Firing Range 1,466 KB PDF 01/08/2006 38717
PA-06-059 Thi-Qar Village Roads–Segment 3 1,866 KB PDF 10/26/2006 39016
PA-06-067 Baghdad Municipal Solid Waste Landfill 2,473 KB PDF 10/19/2006 39009
PA-06-069 Al Kut Training Academy 3,291 KB PDF 10/18/2006 39008
PA-06-073 Bab Eshtar Substation–11 kV Feeder Cable 1,623 KB PDF 10/17/2006 39007
PA-06-058 Al Karkh Courthouse, Baghdad 1,877 KB PDF 10/11/2006 39001
PA-06-072 Ninewa Provincial Police Headquarters, Mosul 2,837 KB PDF 10/10/2006 39000
PA-06-078...079 Baghdad Police College 2,207 KB PDF 09/27/2006 38987
PA-06-066 Critical Care Unit, Ibn Al Bitar Hospital 1,691 KB PDF 09/12/2006 38972
PA-06-063, 014 & 013 Kirkuk to Baiji Pipeline Project and Canal Crossings 6,680 KB PDF 07/31/2006 38929
PA-06-052 Summary Report Ground Project Surveys for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2006 2,438 KB PDF 07/31/2006 38927
PA-06-051 Police Station–Safwan IHP 404, Basrah 1,935 KB PDF 07/25/2006 38925
PA-06-049 Basrah International Airport–Terminal and Tower Renovation, Basrah 2,191 KB PDF 07/25/2006 38923
PA-05-028 Umm Qasr Water Scheme 1,881 KB PDF 07/25/2006 38921
PA-06-054 Nasiriyah Prison Facility 2,031 KB PDF 07/25/2006 38919
PA-06-053 Nasiriyah Fire Station 1,835 KB PDF 07/25/2006 38917
PA-06-057 Baghdad Railway Station Rehabilitation 2,586 KB PDF 07/25/2006 38915
PA-06-056 609th Iraqi National Guard Battalion Garrison, Thi Qar Governorate 1,956 KB PDF 07/25/2006 38913
PA-06-055 Muthanna Village Roads Segment 4 Governorate of Muthanna, Iraq 1,706 KB PDF 06/30/2006 38898
PA-06-050 Basrah International Airport-Air Side Supply to NAVAIDS and VISAIDS 1,258 KB PDF 06/30/2006 38896
PA-06-042...046 Primary Health Care Centers Numbered KE–1 through KE–05, Kirkuk 9,901 KB PDF 04/25/2006 38832
PA-06-034 Air Traffic Control Tower and Navigational Aids, Mosul 2,350 KB PDF 04/25/2006 38830
PA-06-041 New 2nd Brigade Base in Kirkuk 1,828 KB PDF 04/20/2006 38827
PA-06-048 Summary Report Ground Project Surveys for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2005 1,935 KB PDF 04/13/2006 38820
PA-06-040 Aviation Base Building, Kirkuk 1,932 KB PDF 04/12/2006 38819
PA-06-039 Zakho Military Academy, Zakho 1,936 KB PDF 04/12/2006 38817
PA-06-037 Erbil City Transformers 1,618 KB PDF 04/12/2006 38815
PA-06-036 Fire Station Construction, Ainkawa 2,009 KB PDF 04/12/2006 38813
PA-06-038 Sheile Primary School, Dahuk 1,622 KB PDF 04/05/2006 38812
PA-06-035 Segment 3 of the Ninewa Village Roadsin the Governorate of Ninewa 1,811 KB PDF 04/05/2006 38811
PA-05-012 Al Fatah River Crossing Tie–Ins 1,846 KB PDF 03/15/2006 38791
PA-05-009 Shatt Al Arab Substation, Basrah 1,268 KB PDF 03/15/2006 38790
PA-05-004 Al Sumelat Water Network 1,794 KB PDF 03/15/2006 38789
PA-05-003 Al Nahrwan Water Supply Project 1,556 KB PDF 03/15/2006 38788
PA-05-002 Al Wathba Water Treatment Plant 1,506 KB PDF 03/15/2006 38787
PA-05-001 Al Wahda Water Treatment Plant 1,389 KB PDF 03/15/2006 38786
PA-05-016 Hilla Maternity and Children’s Hospital 1,343 KB PDF 03/13/2006 38785
PA-05-020 Police Station-Seif Sa’ad/Aqdiya-BA051 1,280 KB PDF 03/10/2006 38784
PA-05-019 Babil Railway Station Rehabilitation 1,132 KB PDF 03/10/2006 38783
PA-05-008 Al Seraji Substation 1,283 KB PDF 03/10/2006 38782
PA-05-007 Al Kaffat Substation 1,178 KB PDF 03/10/2006 38781
PA-05-006 Hamdan Secondary Substation 1,210 KB PDF 03/10/2006 38780
PA-05-005 Al Hakimia Substation 1,284 KB PDF 03/10/2006 38779
PA-05-017 Clinic - Hai Al Imam 1,491 KB PDF 03/07/2006 38778
PA-05-011 Kirkuk Canal Crossing 1,626 KB PDF 03/07/2006 38777
PA-05-010 Al Fatah Pipe Crossing 2,564 KB PDF 03/07/2006 38776
PA-05-032 Police Academy Hilla 1,680 KB PDF 01/31/2006 38748
PA-05-029 Project Phoenix Restore Qudas Gas Turbine Units 1,120 KB PDF 01/31/2006 38746
PA-05-021...024 Border Post, As Sul Numbered #20, #23, #29, and #37, Sulaymaniyah 5,009 KB PDF 01/31/2006 38744
PA-05-033 Kerbala Library 896 KB PDF 01/30/2006 38742
PA-05-018 Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Police Station, Hilla 2,020 KB PDF 01/30/2006 38740
PA-05-027 Port of Umm Qasr Security Upgrades 2,260 KB PDF 01/27/2006 38738
PA-05-025 Military Base Umm Qasr–Ammunition Supply Point 1,830 KB PDF 01/27/2006 38736
SA-05-001 Al Fatah Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) Pipe Crossing 1,760 KB PDF 01/27/2006 38734
PA-05-015 Police Station–Al Balda/Al Faya’ad BA057 1,390 KB PDF 01/27/2006 38732
PA-05-026 Operation Center & Security Facilities Construction, Umm Qasr 1,830 KB PDF 01/26/2006

http://www.sigir.mil/reports/onsite.aspx

Full reports are available for these projects at the website.

 

[skadistic]

I am so sick and tired of people being so hostile and infantile. Would it have been too much for you to simply state "I would like to see a citation for that, please" instead of acting like you're on the rag?

Anyways...

Pretty picture! Maybe you can break that down for me. If its not to much trouble for you. Because I don't see 80% anywhere on the graph. ( you should post the entire BBC article.)

Gathering reliable data on the current bloodshed in Iraq is difficult, but the available figures help build up a picture of the complex mixture of insurgent attacks and sectarian killings

The figures also show a significant increase in attacks on civilians in the months following the bombing of a key Shia mosque in Samarra in February 2006, which unleashed new levels of sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shias.

However, no available figures differentiate between sectarian killings and crime deaths in a country where kidnapping, extortion and tribal feuds are rife.

The numbers of bodies processed by Baghdad morgue, which deals only with those who died violent or suspicious deaths, are a widely-used guide.

Correspondents say the actual toll may be much higher as many bodies are not taken to the morgue.

 

[LesCanadiens]

A lot of what you said doesn't deal with what I said, which is that most attacks are targetted against Coalition forces; I did not say that most deaths occurred in these attacks, since it stands to reason that US Army units are going to be able to defend themselves a lot better than a group of civilians at a market. So if an insurgent sets off a bomb at the site of a US Army convoy and injures a few, that same bomb in a civilian market could kill dozens or even hundreds if the conditions are right.

Plus if you'll look at the graph, you'll see that it does indeed demonstrate that attacks on civilians increased significantly in February 2006, whereas attacks on Coalition forces did not increase noticeably during that month from January 2006. If you can interpret that graph and do some math, you'll see that it does indicate roughly 80% of attacks are targetted against Coalition forces.

Thank you for confirming what I've said.

 

[Ecofarm]

That graph ends July 2006.

Regarding current news and the reconstruction, the latest quarterly report by SIGIR (Oct) states:

Two notable developments provide a backdrop for SIGIR’s work this quarter. First, total relief and reconstruction investment for Iraq from all sources–the United States, Iraq, and international donors–passed the $100 billion mark. And second, total attacks on Coalition forces and Iraqis dropped to their lowest levels in over a year, primarily because of successes achieved through the surge strategy.

http://www.sigir.mil/reports/quarterlyreports/Default.aspx

 

[LesCanadiens]

That graph ends July 2006.

Regarding current news and the reconstruction, the latest quarterly report by SIGIR (Oct) states:

http://www.sigir.mil/reports/quarterlyreports/Default.aspx

Regarding the latest news on insurgent attacks on Coalition forces:

The death of six US troops this week has made 2007 the most deadly year for US forces in Iraq.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7082536.stm

Interestingly enough, independent sources attribute the rise in casualties to the exact same factor that SIGIR attributes a supposed drop to. Considering that SIGIR is a US government entity, I think it would be intellectually honest to go with independent findings here.

 

[Ecofarm]

Perhaps we are missing something that could explain the differences. It could be that there is a difference between "deadliest" and "most attacks".

 

[LesCanadiens]

Yes, that would be a very interesting thing to find out. If indeed the overall number of attacks are decreasing, but the human losses suffered in those attacks are increasing, that to me indicates that either the insurgents are growing in terms of intelligence and strategic ability, or that they are becoming better armed and equipped, or both. If losses continue to increase, to me any possible decrease in attacks is irrelevant since we are still continuing to hemmorage men and equipment and our armed forces are still being drained away to the point of worldwide impotence.