AP Via Yahoo:
Iraq’s power grid is on the brink of collapse
because of insurgent sabotage of infrastructure, rising demand, fuel
shortages and provinces that are unplugging local power stations from
the national grid, officials said Saturday.Electricity Ministry spokesman Aziz al-Shimari said power
generation nationally is only meeting half the demand, and there had
been four nationwide blackouts over the past two days. The shortages across the country are the worst since the summer of 2003, shortly after the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, he said.Power supplies in Baghdad
have been sporadic all summer and now are down to just a few hours a
day, if that. The water supply in the capital has also been severely
curtailed by power blackouts and cuts that have affected pumping and
filtration stations.Karbala province south of Baghdad has been without power for
three days, causing water mains to go dry in the provincial capital,
the Shiite holy city of Karbala.“We no longer need television documentaries about the
Stone Age. We are actually living in it. We are in constant danger
because of the filthy water and rotten food we are having,” said
Hazim Obeid, who sells clothing at a stall in the Karbala market. Read more…
This how we win hearts and minds. Dirty water, rotting food, no
electricity, no refrigeration or air conditioning in 130 degree heat
and worst of all, no end in sight.
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