Water: A simple comfort for the citizens of Baghdad

By Kerry L. Marsala

web posted February 13, 2006

http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0206/0206water.htm 

Clean refreshing water, dispensed directly from the tap into our waiting glass… free from deadly contaminations… something we enjoy here daily without reflection. Our government values her citizens and they uphold the highest standards as they provide us daily, via a state of the art water system, safe drinking water. We all conduct ourselves with a matter of indifference as we turn on our faucets, run our dishwashers, load our washing machines and water our farmlands… that the water pouring forth is free from diseases that cause life-threatening incidences. How blessed we are to live in a land that believes in caring for its citizens, and how often we forget that many do not have such privileges, nor governments that provide for the common good of all her citizens.

During the tyrannical era of Saddam's rule, the structure of water supply for the neighboring cities of Baghdad was permitted to decay. This forced 300,00 residents to get their water from nearby canals. A practice that was dangerous, for not only health reasons, i.e. filthy water in the canals caused severe intestinal outbreaks, but also those who went to the canals were in constant danger of being shot at by the insurgents.

The Iraqi government took the directive in planning and organizing these projects, proving how far they have come in terms of having the ability to lead their towns, cities and ultimately their own nation. The local leaders in cooperation with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division engineer project office made the restoration of water a priority. A top priority that brought with it the good news, which is now pouring, forth from this region, and due to the recent drop in insurgent activity it allowed such projects like this one to be completed ahead of schedule.

This major repair project took place in three stages, restoring the Kaa Kaa Water Treatment facility, the renovation of the SheShibar Booster Station, which pumps and routes the water to various locales and lastly the repairing of the broken feeder line, which had been ruptured when the insurgents detonated an improvised explosive device.

Furthermore, in the town of Al Muhawil, located about 54 miles south of Baghdad, a new water treatment plant opened recently. Mayor Hussein Jabor, of Al Muhawil and Captain Brian McCarthy, commander, Troop B, 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division began working together a couple of years ago along with other coalition forces and the Iraqi citizens to help meet the needs of those in the communities and towns. With the ribbon cutting ceremony now fulfilled one million cubic liters of water are pumping through the Al Muhawil station on a daily basis. Currently as plans move forward, a similar project will be concluded on the other side of town later this year, which will, "bring clean drinking water to more than 20,000 residents for the first time in many years," according to Captain McCarthy. Add to this good news, the fact that clean water will benefit farmers, and a healthy agricultural industry creates a stronger economy. Such a simple everyday need has far-reaching positive accomplishments.

It appears to be a worldwide belief that the only thing coalition forces do is patrol the streets or track down terrorists, but what our forces have and are achieving reaches far beyond our limited view. According to Mayor Jabor, "People need to see the progress being made. They need to know that we're taking care of the future of Iraq. Soon, our security forces will allow us to live and prosper all over this great country of ours."

Our praise goes out to the new Iraqi government and to the ingenuity of the fellow coalition forces for working hard to provide clean and safe water for the Iraqi citizens. A precious commodity that we take for granted here, now flows forth freely, to be enjoyed straight from the tap- streaming into a waiting glass.

Kerry L. Marsala is a freelance journalist who is terrible at being patient enough to check punctuation and grammar. She figures if Bernard Shaw can get away with it, she might have a chance too.

Hog,

In 1995, Japan tried GIVING fifteen ROWPU's (Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units) to Unicef to further give to Iraq. The USA told Japan that if they GAVE these ROWPU's to Iraq, it would be an infringement on the sanctions agains Iraq, and that Japan would be fined, taxed, or levied against in their further trade with the USA.

So.....at least one or two Iraqi orphans died of thirst and disease died from unclean water because WE stopped them from getting it. Yes, WE stopped an NGO from providing water where it was needed.

Sanctions are a b*tch. They're a great tool to use to control governments. The method is simple.....

1. Sanction the country

2. The peasants suffer and die

3. Countries leader gives in

The sad part is that Saddam, being the d*ckhead that he is, NEVER gave in. Not for 13 years did he give in.

So we kept the sanctions going......while 1.5 million kids and peasants died....begging for the water that we could've provided.

Invading Iraq in 1992 or even 1993 would've been cool. Sanctions for 13 years were not.

You ever wonder why a 20 year old Iraqi kid hates us? He's got 13 years of thirst to convince him......

You ever wonder why a 20 year old Iraqi kid hates us? He's got 13 years of thirst to convince him......

Question - why don't they hate their own government - that is who helped caused it? Shouldn't you channel your energies to make a difference in your country rather than perpetuate the same attitudes that caused the problem?

Sorry - I am not a very educated person and I need help understanding some of these controversial subject matters.

This is a dead horse.........there is strong evidence that supports the fact that parts of Iraq that were NOT as directly influnenced by Saddam did well enough during the sanctions.

Saddam allowed his infrastructure to crumble....bottom line. If he didn't care enough about his people to provide drinking water, how is it OUR fault that they died of thirst?

Andy,

The fact is, we could've removed Saddam from power 13 years ago. Instead we allowed him to stay, and we allowed him to allow 1.5 million of his people die due to the very sanctions that we placed on him.

If a guy holds his child off a 3rd floor balcony and threatens to drop him, we do whatever we can to appease him....then we take the guy out.

Saddam held his people over the balcony and we let him continue holding them for 13 years as they dropped one by one. Only when we realized that deals were being made in Iran/Pakistan/and Iraq that would adversely affect our oil supply did we "suddenly" find it necessary to take him out of power.

As I said, for 13 years, if Philip-Morris even so much as tried to sell a pack of smokes in Iraq, they would've been banned in America for dealing with countries that are sanctioned. NGO's that tried to GIVE aid to Iraq were stopped too.

As I said...sanctions are a b*tch. Nobody in a submissive role has ever been able to issue sanctions. It's only the dominant overlords that can do that. The very FACT that we were able to sanction Iraq should let anyone that cares KNOW that were were obviously in control and in power of that countries destiny and future.....not Saddam.

A 20 year old kid hates us because he doesn't see the Big Picture.....just the fact that he's thirsty and he's been told it's America's fault.

Sort of like a 45 year old American that thinks all Muslims want to kill him. That's what he's been told and he believes it......

The World Allowed him to STAY!

It was not by our choice.. it was the decision of the coalition and the United Nations some 13+ yrs ago..

Yea we could have got the Job done then... but where would we be today? standing alone on the battle field....

Oh Wait a F*ckin Minute we practically are Now.. and then our bozo's in office keep b!tchin and moaning about it instead of being united in this effort...

what a bunch of Jackwads.. and we're jackwads for keeping re-election of these folks!

Hog

A 20 year old kid hates us because he doesn't see the Big Picture.....just the fact that he's thirsty and he's been told it's America's fault.

Sort of like a 45 year old American that thinks all Muslims want to kill him. That's what he's been told and he believes it......

I'm almost 45 and I don't believe that - come on give us and the Iraqi children more credit than being just plain ignorant. We are in an age of technology and world news is all over - I remember the children cheering on 9/11. They are not naive and uneducated - they chose to hate America because they want to.

Plus many of the people who say we should have taken him out then are the ones saying we be isolationists and pull out. My point is that you can't win.

Back on topic of the Thead...

It's nice to see/hear of the Improvements for the Iraqi People today.. not yesteryear as Adroomi would like to steer this thread to...

Hats Off to our Men and Women in Service and the efforts they are doing to improove a Nation and it's People!!

Hog

Hog,

I agree fully with you.....thanks.

JPR,

You're a good man (if you're a woman, sorry) for keeping an open mind about this. Thanks.

However, remember, not every Iraqi kid has tv and internet (there's a few out there in tents still), and although you have an open mind, there are even folks on this board that will tell you that all muslims hate us and that they all look like arabs and dress their women in black.

The US has a lot of those "Kaa Kaa Water Treatment facility" places.

Lol!

who the hell drinks tap water. it's for washing.

I do.. it's better then creek water.. specially when your buddy's standing up stream from you ;0)

Hog

Hog,

Remember to be upstream of the cow farms too.

Oh, sorry man, but you're downstream from all us Wisconsinites. But then we're downstream from Canada. Well, you're still worse off being downstream from both!

Rick,

We have real groundwater up here that comes out of our faucets so we can drink it.

How uterly appologetic it is to say that it was the US and not Saddam that starved his people.

If these poor souls who are starving have no television, then why do they think it was the US that prevented their leader in the big fancy building from giving them water?

Talk about warped logic.

Using that kind of thinking, we should give all drug users more money. If we don't, they'll spend what little they have on drugs and their kids will starve. It will be our own fault.

Give me a break.

That is without a doubt the most illogical thing ever posted on these boards.

Ever.

If the sanctions resulted in people starving, then the starving people should have revolted against their thirst-quenched leaders.

Yo adroomi:

"You ever wonder why a 20 year old Iraqi kid hates us?"

I don't give a good cr*p if they hate us are not, doo dah doo dah. As long as we back Israel they will hate us anyway.

JonR

5. Author: adroomi Date: 02/16/2006 10:58 AM Reply: "Andy, The fact is, . . . . . As I said . . . As I said..."

Same old same old, adreamy knows the facts, nobody else does. He says . . . . "The fact is" . . . like he is the great and only knower of fact, everyone else is dumb, stupid and uninformed. He doesn't cite sources, just proclaims . . . . "the fact is" . . . .

And then he reminds you . . . "As I said" . . . . and repeats . . . "As I said" . . . like this is an edict from the almighty brilliant and knowing one.

You'd think he'd be half smart with a forehead like that, but . . . . . . the fact is . . . . .

That's a pretty inferior argument Tucks. If you have evidence, or even an opinion that refutes Adroomi's claim, state it. As it is all you've accomplished is putting on a tantrum expressing your resentment of some abstract internet dude. For example, in post # 6, USAHog tosses out a counter argument to Adroomi's claim of fact.

Could the US have ousted Hussein at the end of the 1st Gulf war? Probably; sure, why not: big bomb go boom! As Hog points out, we sure did it when we took a mind to, world permission or not, and that's a fact. Why not 13 years ago then?

Please add pepper to the above post re: adreamy. Sorry for my omission. Tuck

Out here in the west, "whiskey's for drinkin', water's for fightin' over."