Iraqis Refuse Possession of U.S. Build Reconstruction Projects

If you needed yet another example of how much of a mess the Bush Administration has created in Iraq, just click on the link in this entry's title. You will read a story from the New York Times that appeared in the Saturday, July 28, 2007, edition. It concerns a report from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, a federal oversight agency. This is a quote from that article:

Iraq's national government is refusing to take possession of thousands of American-financed reconstruction projects, forcing the United States either to hand them over to local Iraqis, who often lack the proper training and resources to keep the projects running, or commit new money to an effort that has already consumed billions of taxpayer dollars.

The article notes that the Bush Administration often cites reconstruction projects as evidence that Iraqis are making strides toward establishing a working government even though there is a civil war brewing. Yet, as this report shows, constructing such projects are only the beginning. You have to have someone who will take control of them and use them.

This quote from the article probably best sums up the situation:

“To build something and not have these issues resolved from top to bottom is unfathomable,” said William L. Nash, a retired general who is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an expert on Middle East reconstruction. “The management of the reconstruction program for Iraq has been a near-total disaster from the beginning.”

Why has it been a near-total disaster from the beginning? Because under Bush ideology trumps everything, including experience, education, sound public policy, and training. Bush is a true believer and he surrounds himself with true believers.

He apparently believed that once he overthrew Saddam Hussein everything would just fall into place, as if by magic. Consequently there was no planning for what happened after Hussein was removed from power. American soldiers are paying with their lives, and American taxpayers with their money, for Bubble-Boy's folly. Of course, just like every other screw-up in Bush's life, he will leave office and other people will have to clean up his mess.