Iraq’s national grid grinds to a halt

[sabra]

Source: Azzaman

The Iraqi capital Baghdad and other major cities are plunged into darkness due to prolonged disruptions of power supplies from the national grid, a source at the Ministry of Electricity said.

The stoppage is the severest to hit Iraq and comes amid reports of further fuel shortages and more acts of sabotage directed at electricity towers and stations.

Nearly four years after U.S. invasion, the country’s power generating capacity has plummeting to levels unseen before despite investments estimated at billions of dollars.

The shortages follow a halt in the export of gas oil from Turkey used in driving major power stations in the country.

Both Turkey and Kuwait have also unexpectedly halted exports of electricity to the country.

Aziz Sultan of the Electricity Ministry said neither the Turks nor the Kuwaitis have given any reason for their latest actions.

Read more: http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news/2008-01-13/kurd.htm

[LynnTheDem]

1. Funny how that never happened under Saddam Hussein.

Even with the most barbaric sanctions in human history.

[Astrad]

2. The surge is working! n/t

[Javaman]

4. Except for the electrical power. LOL nt

[Supersedeas]

5. Nothing to see here -- feed the 'Mericans more platitudes, vagaries, and infotainment

[intheozone]

3. It's nearly 5 years, not 4! nt

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

25. or 16 years

I look at it as one war, three phases, starting with GHWB's Desert Storm.

We never left.

[rodeodance]

6. Turkey wants all to know they are a major player in the ME??

[givemebackmycountry]

7. Wait a minute!!! Wait a minute!!!

I saw JOHN McCAIN live on C-Span this weekend, and he was saying about how much better things were over there.

He said that there were more people going to school and that they HAD MORE ELECTRICITY than they have had for years now.

He wasn't lying now was he?

[flashl]

8. While Iraqis misery is real and worsens everyday ...

reports of how bad it is over there create a false sense that circumstances are better here for most Americans.

Each time reports surface about roving brownouts and blackouts in Iraq, 'we' receive reports that 'we' have successfully rebuilt infrastructure in Iraq by spending unknown billions.

If thats true, why are the Iraqis dependent on Turkey and Kuwait?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

9. "Violence and sabotage were the main reason for the poor performance of the grid"

Now wait a minute. I thought the "surge" had quelled the violence? And what's this talk of "no-go areas" and a need for US occupation troops and Iraqi forces to provide enough security before repairs can be made?

I've been watching the news and I'm pretty sure that Iraq consist of one big city called Baghdad. I also know that violence is down there and the people are celebrating in the streets.

This article is obviously wrong.


:sarcasm:

[underpants]

10. Well look if you have no RISK how is anyone supposed to make money?

Molly Ivins had a great article on this a couple of years ago. It was generally agreed among the Enron/Cheney types that there was just far too much safety in OUR electrical system. Back when everything was regulated and they were forced to do regular maintenance (see "tree lmbs Ohio 2003 blackout" ) and they got a health 14% return the ONLY GOT A 14% RETURN!!! Clearly something had to change. Iran is seeing the results of this wonderous bit of capitalism effected on their country.

[Hydra]

11. The greatest army in the world

and we can't even provide basic services to the people we're occupying.

We may as well just kill them all and get it over with...we can tell the UN it was some sort of "accident."

[Magleetis]

12. Iraq is FUBAR

and will be for years to come. Meanwhile the MSM continues to lie for *. If it weren't for the net there would be no "news".

[jimlup]

13. Yeah, they will never pass up a chance for self righteousness...

I'm always amazed by the self-righteousness of the repuklians. These bastards are busy congratulating themselves on the "surge" when the outcome has been really nothing but more hardship for the Iraq people. These self-righteous imperalists seek nothing but oil and control.

[balantz]

14. Keep an eye on that faulty dam.

The "cleanse" is not yet complete.

[Kokonoe]

15. If ever there was an official cry for help.

It's called flashing your lights.

[pjt7]

16. Ahmed Chalabi is currently in charge of

8 ministries inside Iraq, including restoring electricity to Baghdad.

The fact that this crook is not in prison, let alone running this "GOV." tells you everything.

[Kokonoe]

17. Bush is a 2 bit crook and can't run a small state with all

our technology and our kids grandkids money.

[donkeyotay]

28. Chalabi is in charge of restoring Baghdad. Chalabi. Unbelievable, but true

What could go wrong? One of the neocons responsible for helping build the lies for war, the anointed leader that the Iraq's rejected, the guy thought to be a double agent for Iran, the guy that was the oil minister, a guy who helped to bring so much death and destruction not only to Iraq, but to America soldiers. He's still spending our money, and we're still getting similar results. I wonder what his secret is that gives him so much power over our country.

[Botany]

31. Link?

Chalabi had to flee Jordan in the trunk of a car after looting
the nation's bank of millions. The PNAC's #1 man.

[sabra]

32. BBC: Chalabi, who has been appointed to return reliable services back to the Iraqi capital

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7147162.stm

<snip>

Across Baghdad, in the once-upmarket suburb of Mansour, sits Ahmed Chalabi, who has been appointed to return reliable services back to the Iraqi capital.

Mr Chalabi is Iraq's master of political reinvention. A one-time darling of the US administration, and a leading light of the Iraqi opposition, his most recent fall from grace began when he was accused of supplying the Americans with false intelligence in the run-up to the invasion.

In 2005 his heavily guarded compound, just down the road from the Hunting Club, was raided by the American army, who claimed that he was giving information to Iran.

Now he travels in a massive convoy. There were as many as 30 armoured vehicles on the day we went out with him. This is a sign of his status - and the threats against him - in the new Iraq.

...

His reputation is so muddied amongst Western diplomats that many are reluctant to comment on how he has returned to such a prominent position in the Iraqi government. On the ground, though, the US military is working with him.

In the words of one Iraqi: "Ahmed Chalabi does at least get things done."

Given the poor-track record of the government, that sets him apart from many officials in Iraq.

[Botany]

36. "they" must want to fail.

The man who gave us "curve ball" is in charge of services?

Nothing succeeds like failure w/ this admin.

[benld74]

18. PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!

[chelsea0011]

19. Infrastructure is not Bush's problem. Now killing...that's different.

[flasoapbox]

20. An oil-rich country without power

Gotta love it.

[Selatius]

21. I hate to be the Devil's Advocate, but Saddam was better at running Iraq than Bush ever will be.

Of course, Saddam is dead now, so they have Bush as a substitute as well as his stooges.

[NOLALady]

29. That's why Saddam is dead.

The nerve of him, trying to run Iraq and take care of Iraqis.

[INDIA]

30. Saddam was trying to "take care" of Iraqis? Sounds like a nice guy! n/t

[The_Casual_Observer]

22. The USA isn't doing any better in New Orleans.

[bigbrother05]

23. Bush's DEMOCRACY in Action. n/t

[louis-t]

24. See, all you people in Iran? You can have

bushie's democracy, too! You're bad, BAAAAD people. You need bushie to come and save you (by killing you).

[maxsolomon]

26. Wait - Bill Kristol said it was going great.

and the sun would never set on our Empire.

[Doctor_J]

27. Let Freedom Reign

A love letter to the first MSM outlet that mentions this fact among the slobbering over *'s war-mongering trip to the ME.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

33. Wasn't Tony Snowjob just on Bill Maher's show saying how much electricity they have?

I think he made a comment about how much their capacity to generate electrity had improved and how many new power stations have come on line. Is Tony Snowjob using medical marijuana to help him with his chemo?

[Mithreal]

35. Snow is Mr. Propaganda, I wish he was smoking marijuana

All the RW thugs need to do a lil more of that.

[Mithreal]

34. SEABEES Iraq veteran gave talk here: IRAN is doing a better job

supplying electricity to Iraq than the US. The SEABEE also said that we need to be a lil more concerned about non-Iranian borders and this was before Turkey went hot. Can't imagine why Turkey and Kuwait would be working against us and Iraq. (sarcasm)

Iraqi Contracts With Iran and China Concern U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/18/world/middleeast/18grid.html

We need to wake up to the machinations of our so-called middle eastern "allies" and rethink who our friends are, but that's just me. I guess it takes a lot of foreign policy experience to know that right and wrong is something liberals can fight over and conservatives can ignore.

[Doctor_J]

37. When WWIII finally breaks out, we won't know what hit us

The right-wing foreign policy has us in such dire straights we won't have a single friend when the shooting starts.