Baghdad Mayor Decries Daily Misery
Iraq Capital Wracked By Violence, Shortages Two Years After Invasion
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An Iraqi boy walks past stagnant water in the Sadr City section of Baghdad, Iraq in this March 23, 2005 file photo. Baghdad's mayor decried the capital's crumbling infrastructure Thursday. (AP)
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U.S. Marines Lance Cpl. Richard Canin, right, and Lance Cpl. Aaron Reynolds enter a shop while Sgt. Andrew Taylor reads a map in Hit. (AP)
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"I am part of the government and aware of the problems the country is facing," al-Timimi said. "But I need to have technical support from the concerned parties at the government. The people are blaming me and the Baghdad municipality."
According to City Hall, Baghdad produces about 544 million gallons of water per day, some 370 million gallons short of its required amount. Some 55 percent of the water is lost through leakage in the pipes.
Iraqis also complain of shortages of power and fuel.
Electrical shortfalls were common during the Saddam Hussein era and attributed to a poor distribution network, but the situation has worsened due to sabotage and lack of maintenance.
Before the U.S.-led invasion, Baghdad residents had about 20 hours of electricity a day. Today, they get about 10, usually broken into two-hour chunks.
In addition, Iraq is not able to refine enough oil, so must import gasoline. Convoys carrying fuel are often attacked by insurgents and the ensuing shortage has led to a black market in Baghdad.
Meanwhile Thursday, the U.S. military claimed some success over Baghdad's other major problem — car bombs and suicide attackers. A spokesman said a recent security operation had worked.
"We had a measurable success," said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Don Alston, a spokesman for coalition forces in Iraq. He did not offer specifics.
More than 1,000 members of the Iraqi security services had died since the transfer of sovereignty one year ago, the U.S. military said without giving an exact figure.
At least 1,743 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. At least 1,341 died as a result of hostile action. Of those, 75 were killed in June, one of the deadlier months.
© MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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