Dear Family:
I am currently working on a plan for sewer and sewer pump station
cleaning and repair. For the past 5 to 10 years or so, about 60 to 80
percent of the sewers in Baghdad, population 5 to 6 million, have not
been working. So, the sewage is on the streets, in homes and in all the
low spots in town. It is not very pleasant, from and aesthetic and
public health perspective. More to the point, it is odiferous to say
the least, gag inducing at the extreme. Typhoid, typhus, cholera, and
other disease are now common.
The situation was bad before the US got here, but Saddam had a very
efficient way of handling complains. There were not too many
complaints, and even less repeat complaints from the same person.
However, once we took over as the Iraqi government, we were and are
responsible for sewers, water, solid waste, streets, electricity,
security, and on and on. From the Iraqi citizen's point of view, we are
not addressing the problems. There perception is correct, not much has
been done for the common citizen. We have been working with the
provisional government and have identified the large jobs like the
treatment plants and new dams, etc. The local provisional government
indicated that they can take care of the smaller local problems, but
they have not accomplished these tasks yet. In the mean time, the
people are still wading through their own sewage. The discontent is
valid even if it is a little short sighted.
As a side note, the solid waste or garbage and potable water systems are
in as bad a state of affairs, if not worse. And, these same conditions
exist in all the major cities in Iraq. Consequently, it does not take
much prodding from the discontents and insurgents to get the general
population worked up.
Hopefully we can get this fixed by some reprioritization of funds. I
started to fix the situation; however, it appears that I am not in
control of the situation. I thought I was going to run things when I
got here, but it seems the Ambassador, Commanding General, etc, have
different ideas. Go figure.
An additional problem is unemployment. I have been told unofficially
that it is around 60 percent. Cleaning sewers, pump stations, streets,
etc. is a very labor-intensive activity here. Seems like a win-win to
put the two problems together. We estimated that we could put about
100,000 people to work for about 6 months.
Put all this together and you have a volatile condition, especially in
the Middle East. How long would we stand for this type of situation in
the US while being occupied?
Do not misinterpret my observations, I believe everyone here is trying
to do the right thing, and we are probably getting it 80 percent right.
We are just having a problem getting all the parts to add up to the
whole. I hope in 4 months I can write and describe an improved
condition. However with the US and Iraqi elections coming up, hopes
will remain guarded. All in all, I still think I made the right
decision to come and try to assist. I'll reassess in 49 weeks (yes 3
weeks down).
I remain safe in what I am doing.