e.g. Instead of providing useful aid in the form of medical equipment (The example last night was of a hospital that had run out of catheters except for the very biggest ones. My wife has just had a baby and she screamed when they put in the second smallest size into her arm. They showed last night this 4 y.o. girl getting this massive catheter inserted into her arm. The doctor doing it was almost in tears for the pain he was causing.) they tried to provide big ticket items like massive electricity sub stations and repairing sewrage systems. Very visable and political. But difficult to build and very expensive (how expensive is a catheter?). They quoted Iraq as producing less electricity than before the war even tho US$500m had been spent upgrading their electricity system. Producing less OIL even tho US$1.5b had been spent. They showed a brand new power station that just didn't work. They showed sewerage in the street.
They spoke to the accountant who controlled the expenditure for the Coallition. He looked totally digusted by what had happenned. He basically said "we stuffed up". They showed how much money had been stollen by corrupt politicians and corrupt war chasing phony contractors.
Its bloody shocking.
Those poor people. Apparently Iraq had a "model" health care system which was the best in the middle east before the war. The average person in the street now believes they are worse off than under saddam. Why would you not become anti-west after this appalling display of capitalist political bullshit?
I feel physically sick that MY country has been associated with this theft and corruption just as bad and if not worse than anything expereinced in the likes of South America's political cesspit. I feel ashamed. I feel damaged and hurt and threatenned.
Why is no-one pressing charges against our leaders for this situation? They have lied, perverted the course of justice, condoned theft and corruption, caused thousands of people to be displaced, go hungry and be killed. And for me they have damaged my good name by associating me as an Australian with thiese dispicable acts. I want to do somehting. Can't I sue sue the Howard Government for damages or something like that?
FROM SBS WEBSITE
08:35 pm CUTTING EDGE - IRAQ'S MISSING BILLIONS
This documentary reveals what has happened to the billions of dollars of Iraqi reconstruction money entrusted to the American Coalition. In just fourteen months, the CPA burned its way through nearly $20 billion. But no one can account for where it all went. Iraq's infrastructure is worse than ever before. Operating theatres are flooded with sewage. New-born babies are dying for lack of basic equipment. In this investigation, Iraqi doctor Ali Fadhil goes in search of the missing money. He uncovers a horrific story of fraud, incompetence and corruption. As word spread of the kind of money that could be made in Iraq, foreign contractors flocked in. According to this documentary, companies like Custer Battles billed for work they hadn't done and charged the CPA a 1000% mark up for their expenses. While dodgy contractors were making millions, the Iraqi people were left paying the price. According to the United States' own figures, Iraq's essential services are worse than before the war. (From the UK, in English and Arabic, English subtitles) M CC WS
