In the course of her recent Los Angeles Times column, Rosa Brooks wrote this about the levels of electricity and oil production in Iraq:
"Before the U.S. invasion, the . . . residents of Baghdad used 16 to 24 hours of electricity each day. Today, thanks to us, they thriftily make do with about six hours of electricity a day . . . Oil production is still well below prewar levels."
Alarms went off for me when I read Brooks' claims. They were largely at odds with what I had learned when I interviewed in Baghdad in November the directors of the electricity and oil sectors of the Gulf Region Division of the Army Corps of Engineers - the people responsible for overseeing the reconstruction of those elements, among others, of Iraq's infrastructure.
To confirm my recollection and obtain the latest data, I’ve contacted the office of Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, GRD's commanding general. Here's what I learned:
When it comes to electricity, Brooks 'conveniently' referred only to Baghdad, ignoring the rest of Iraq. Saddam monopolized power for the capital, leaving much of the rest of the country in darkness. Today, power is shared much more equitably across the country. While that means that while Baghdad does receive less, the rest of the country receives much more. Have a look at this chart, showing the average number of hours of electricity in Iraq's various regions. You'll note that every region outside of Baghdad receives at least 10 hours per day, with a number of regions, notably including the Sunni stronghold of Anbar province, enjoying 18 daily hours.
Said Gen. Walsh: “Currently, 75 percent of Iraq receives twice as much power now than they did before the war. Our goal is an equitable distribution across the country of ten-to-twelve hours of power daily.”
As to the allegation that "oil production is still well below prewar levels," Brooks is simply wrong. Prewar production averaged 2.4 million barrels per day. It currently averages 2.5 million barrels per day.
Those are the facts as best I understand them. If Ms. Brooks has better information, we'd like to see it. If not, a clarification and correction would be in order.
Mark was in Iraq in November. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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Electricity
January 20, 2007 - 09:48 ET by allanfMark,
Saddam left whole areas of the country without electrification. There was a period where some capacity was diverted from Baghdad to other regions. Her claims are as usual false.
Mark, these people just can't get over 'before the invasion'.
January 20, 2007 - 09:54 ET by acaiguanaMark, these people just can't get over 'before the invasion'.
Her assertion relies on the fundamental thesis that 'before the invasion' life was ??? in Iraq?
I'm a little tired of the canards.
But, I feel better today, in my 'office'.
ACA
...
Acaiguana says: "I love blind Monkeys and any inference that I am making fun of blind Monkeys would be wrong.
This woman is a complete moro
January 20, 2007 - 10:00 ET by msh1973This woman is a complete moron. She is saying that the Iraq people were better off when Saddam was in power? Tell that to the thousands of families whose loved ones were found buried in mass graves with their heads cut off. I don't know how these people live with themselves, spreading their lies and hatred.
In post-Saddam Iraq, is ele
January 20, 2007 - 10:01 ET by sarcasmoIn post-Saddam Iraq, is electicity still a state-owned monopoly? (I wouldn't be surprised -- here in Florida electricity generation is essentially a monopoly, but at least our ever-growing state government doesn't directly-own FPL!) Presumably, during Saddam's days, there wasn't much need for meter-reading or billing, which are business skills the monopoly -- absent competition -- is likely to learn very-slowly. Anyway, if my suspicions are correct, there could be other, non-terrorist, market-based explanations for some of the poor electricity service they're still-seeing. I get annoyed if the power goes off here for an hour!
JMR
liberal
January 20, 2007 - 10:45 ET by iveseenitallRosa. Just another lazy liberal "journalist" with a mouth and a platform --but no work ethic and, of course, no accountabiltiy for what she says.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Before that evil George Bus
January 20, 2007 - 10:58 ET by Roger the ShrubberBefore that evil George Bush showed up in Iraq, it was a happy place. They had flowery meadows and rainbow skies, and rivers made of chocolate, where the children danced and laughed and played with gumdrop smiles.
And kites, we mustn't forget
January 20, 2007 - 11:37 ET by guinsPenAnd kites, we mustn't forget the kites.
Beside Rosa Brooks' obvious o
January 20, 2007 - 11:40 ET by jdhawkBeside Rosa Brooks' obvious obsfucation of the facts, there is more to the story. We have heard time and again about the dismal state of the plant and facilities for both oil production and electricity generation, among many other infrastructure, following the capture of Baghdad. Our military and contract civilian corporations have reported that they had to literally rebuild both infrastructures from scratch because they were in such poor repair. That is a continuing and on going effort costing us billions of dollars.
Also, Rosa Brooks' rendition of the facts belie reports of the soaring economy and the great strides at modernization throughout the country. This is simply another "journalist" fitting the "facts" to a preconceived notion of how things "were" and are "now."
Another "stellar" effort on the part of the LA Times to reduce readership and their stock price to zero by spewing lies and half truths and calling it "news."
It's gotten to the point wher
January 20, 2007 - 11:41 ET by Indiana JoeIt's gotten to the point where these MSM toadies just LIE and misrepresent, with absolutely no remorse or compunction. And most people just swallow it whole.
When and how will it end?
News Distortion
January 20, 2007 - 12:54 ET by pbthinkerWe keep hearing, from the media, how difficult it is to get good news out of Iraq. My question is: How difficult is it to get the truth out of Iraq? The media continues to distort all the news from Iraq making it impossible for the public to discern what the real situation is there. This was a factor, in the last election, and will continue to be a factor until the media begins to take its responsibility seriously.
What surprises me is that FoxNews hasn't set up a segment, to be aired weekly, that takes stories, such as these, and puts the truth out. If there was a major news organization willing to take on the MSM in this area, it wouldn't take long before we would see more truthful reporting. This report is clearly a distortion of the facts and one which, given a little research, could have been avoided.
I wonder if Rosa has ever eve
January 20, 2007 - 13:04 ET by Dave RI wonder if Rosa has ever even set foot in Iraq?
pbthinker - Fox news
January 20, 2007 - 13:11 ET by misterbillI have wondered about Fox (or a new balanced network) setting up shop in Iraq and sending back daily, truthful stories. I think daily snippets of Iraqi folks, shopping, going to work, etc. would have a very positive effect. The effects would be, so to speak, all around--proving the MSM are negative sayers and creators of news and how the man in the street feels about current day Iraq. Our Mark Finkelstein spent a few days there and his reports were very encouraging. (Curse you, Mark, for telling the truth.) The last sentence came from a sudden liberal lapse in my thinking.
Lefties lie; it's all they h
January 20, 2007 - 13:48 ET by robert108Lefties lie; it's all they have.
Rosa
January 20, 2007 - 14:00 ET by d1carterWhy should the MSM let the facts get in the way of a good negative story? Gathering facts and reporting them is sooo blase.
If a person needs lies to mak
January 20, 2007 - 14:34 ET by mattmIf a person needs lies to make a point, doesn't that negate the point they are making?
Has anyone spoken with the LA
January 20, 2007 - 16:21 ET by NazarethHas anyone spoken with the LA Times and pointed out the lie? Seems to me that papers should be held to journalistic integrity standards- Have there been any retractions or corrections at LA Times?
It's one hting to have an opinion about something, but if facts are going to be itnentionally skewed, then they should be held accountable for violating the public trust (Yes, I know- they could care less- just saying is all)
MrBill- I'd love to see something like that as well, but unfortunately, the leftist media would accuse them of hand picking residents that didn't represent the 'over-all direness of conditions over there' and accuse the right of trying to 'manipulate public opinion' - then the leftist media would prance around as though they were sanctimonious do gooders by 'exposing the truth about the 'quagmire' conditions in Iraq" A show that pointed out hte positives might actually do more damage than good. The left would absolutely jump on it and claim the right was 'propogandizing for the administration, and attempting to squelch the 'real truth'
http://sacredscoop.com
Journalistic integrity is as
January 20, 2007 - 20:45 ET by MikeBJournalistic integrity is as much an oxymoron as political ethics.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
Rosa is a liar, has been in t
January 20, 2007 - 18:23 ET by bigtimerRosa is a liar, has been in the past and will continue to be ....
If there is no accountability and repercussions for their (the leftistist in the msm of all forms) agenda driven outrageous exaggerations and lies, then they will continue with their power driven agenda...
Btw Rosa, Saddam drained all water from a lot of areas in Iraq so people could no longer farm and produce, we are helping with restoration for that too, have you checked that out?
Weaseling witch.
"If we ever forget that we are a Nation Under God....then we will be a Nation Gone Under." Ronald Reagan