Korean Job Discussion Forums

bucheon bum · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

The US has poured a chunk of money into Iraq. Apparently the money that has gone to fixing the electricity has done jack.

Iraq needs 20 billion bucks

Summer Wine · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Location: Next to a River

They are kind of in a catch 22 situation. Any development or improvement to infrastructure will be targeted by the insurgents as the lack of basic infrastructure heightens disatisfaction with the Government and its in their best interest to keep the public disatisfied. Thus the Government has to target and reduce the insurgency.

But the insurgency will continue so long as the money isn't being used to improve the infrastructure, but rather is being used to support, pay the security services to fight the insurgents. You only have have so much water in a barrel to fight a fire, so which fire do you target first.

If and its a big if, the Government can break the back of the insurgents, then they can relocate more assets to fixing the infrastructure and improving iraqis daily lives. But so long as they have an insurgency, any money and improvements to the infratructure will be targeted by insurgents, so where do you spend your money.

Improvement of daily lives or defence of national interests. I am starting to get the feeling (admittedly based on publicly available info that it might be reaching the point of no return, regardless of what happens).

I was against the initial invasion, because history has shown that only an idiot fights 2 wars at the same time and only a madman fights 3 wars. Though I am not in the camp of total blame, as now the US is in Iraq now and they have to make do with what they have. Its gone on too long now for it ever to return to what it was like before. So lets hope that the end result is not the worst one that it could be for everyone involved.