(Source: Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division/Project Cotnracting Office/U.S. Agency for International Development) |
President Bush has acknowledged that the effort to rebuild Iraqs infrastructure has not always progressed as well as the U.S. desired and says the program has shifted from large projects to smaller ones that can show faster results.
Reconstruction has not always gone as well as we had hoped, primarily because of the security challenges on the ground, Bush said in a Dec. 7 speech. He added that the programs focus changed to smaller, local projects that could deliver rapid, noticeable improvements.
Part of that is the commanders emergency response program, in which U.S. military leaders awarded $161 million from July through September for building repairs, new light fixtures or other work requested by local Iraqi officials, says Lt. Col. Stan Heath, a Corps of Engineers spokesman.
As of December, U.S. agencies say 2,020 projects worth $2.3 billion were completed (see graph). Thats 8% below the 2,200 jobs projected to be done by then. So far, 3,008 projects have been started, with a completion value of $7.7 billion. The goal is to finish 3,580 projects worth $9.7 billion. The truth of the matter is that there has been steady progress going on, says Heath. But Iraqs needs exceed the U.S. program, he adds. There will still be reconstruction going on when we leave, whenever that time is, he adds.
Democrats criticized Bushs speech. But the President contended that the U.S. plan to increase Iraqis role is working, and that he sees encouraging progress in Najaf and Mosul, for example. But he conceded that work in much of Iraq has proceeded in fits and starts since liberation.
As the President acknowledged, security has been the primary challenge in accomplishing our work, says Bechtel National Inc. spokesman Howard Menaker. Another industry source says hes heard security costs can be 30% of a contracts value.
Weve never had to build as were trying to fend off people from fighting and blowing up our projects, Heath says. It has been a very difficult, challenging mission, but its ongoing.
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