Rebuilding Is Now A Lot More Than Bricks, Mortar And Bomb Repair 6/9/2003
In looking for the secret to successfully rebuilding Iraq, the Bush Administration may review previous reconstructions in other war-torn lands such as Kuwait, Bosnia-Herzegovina and even now in Afghanistan. While much has been accomplished in places where the U.S. and its allies have waged war in the last dozen years, reconstruction experts say, nothing helps restore infrastructure like a stable government, security and new sources of national wealth.
In 1991, as Saddam Hussein's soldiers were being routed from Kuwait by a U.S.-led coalition, they laid waste to oil fields, infrastructure and buildings. A key step came when the Kuwaitis sought prices from private contractors to lead the rebuilding.