The following is an archived copy of a message sent to the CASI Analysis List run by Cambridge Solidarity with Iraq.
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[ This message has been sent to you via the CASI-analysis mailing list ] Not likely to be deliberate misinformation. Probably an ongoing topic of debate inside BBC News. I heard a BBC Radio 4 news report on the story below which definitely said "under years of sanctions" instead of "under years of mismanagement". Perhaps some of the BBC News online journalists need/would welcome a briefing guide? Cathy Aitchison > From: "Mark Parkinson" <mark44@myrealbox.com> > Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 12:42:49 +0100 > To: casi-analysis@lists.casi.org.uk > Subject: [casi-analysis] rewriting history > > [ This message has been sent to you via the CASI-analysis mailing list ] > > What can be done to counter the BBC's deliberate misinformation? > > They repeatedly try to put the blame on 'mismanagement' rather than > the real reasons. Obviously the real reasons for the detroyed > infrastructure would lay the US and UK open to a massive reparation > bill. In my view, any reasonable redevelopment in Iraq needs this > (and getting rid of the occupation). Otherwise, Iraqis will not get > back to their 1990 standard of living in our lifetimes. > > Perhaps we could consider refocussing and campaigning? eg become > CORFI: Campaign on Reparations for Iraq > > or CAFRI Campaign for Reparations for Iraq? > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3740016.stm > > Cost of Iraqi reconstruction > > The US-led invasion inflicted heavy damage on Iraq > The effort to rebuild Iraq is in the spotlight again as a conference > of donor nations gets underway in Tokyo. > Rebuilding Iraq's shattered infrastructure ranks as one of the most > challenging reconstruction tasks faced by the international community > since the World War II. > > Last year's US-led invasion caused widespread damage, but much of the > country was already in a decrepit state after years of mismanagement > under Saddam Hussein's regime. > > An eight-year war against Iran during the 1980s, coupled with > economic sanctions imposed in the wake of Saddam's ill-fated invasion > of Kuwait in 1990, also took their toll. > > Last year, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund > calculated that restoring Iraq's water, power, road and > telecommunications networks would cost $35.8bn (£20bn ; 28.8bn > euros). > > Repair bill > > The Coalition Provisional Authority, which governed Iraq in the > aftermath of the invasion, estimated that reconstruction work not > taken into account in the World Bank/IMF study, including repairs to > the oil industry, would cost another $20bn. > > To put these figures into perspective, the World Bank estimates that > Iraq's gross domestic product - the combined value of all the goods > and services the country produces - stood at just $18.4bn in 2002, > the year before the US-led invasion. > > In October 2003, a group of 37 countries agreed to provide a total of > $32.1bn towards the reconstruction effort. > > By far the biggest contribution came from the US, which set aside > $18.6bn, followed by Japan, with $4.9bn. > > Other major donors included Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, which pledged > $500m each, the UK, with $452m, and Spain, with $220m. > > Spending delays > > However, the reconstruction programme has made disappointing progress > since then, mainly because work on the ground has been hampered by an > unexpectedly fierce campaign of violence by Iraqi insurgents. > > The most telling measure of the difficulties faced by contractors > operating in Iraq is the unexpectedly slow pace at which the > reconstruction money is being spent. > > According to the US government, just $1.2bn of its budget had been > spent by 22 September. > > Of this, $623m - more than half - was spent on security-related > measures, including training and equipping the Iraqi army and police > force. > > Repairs to the electricity network were the second biggest item of > expenditure, absorbing $300m. > > Moreover, the US in August diverted some $3.4bn it had set aside to > rebuild Iraq's water and power networks towards measures aimed at > improving security and creating jobs. > > Meanwhile, the other donor nations - who between them pledged $13.5bn > - have so far released only about $1bn of the total, partly because > of concerns over the deteriorating security situation. > > Iraqi leaders are urging them to disburse the rest of the cash, > saying that speedily completing the reconstruction work offers the > best hope of ending the violence that plagues the country. > > > Mark Parkinson > Bodmin > Cornwall > > > > _______________________________________ > Sent via the CASI-analysis mailing list > To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-analysis > All postings are archived on CASI's website at http://www.casi.org.uk _______________________________________ Sent via the CASI-analysis mailing list To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-analysis All postings are archived on CASI's website at http://www.casi.org.uk