4 of 37

Write now Article Tools

The War in Iraq:
Rebuilding the Nation's Infrastructure

The military conflict in Iraq is the subject of intense debate on a worldwide scale. The problems are many and varied, with the ones resulting in physical military engagement and civilian deaths being the primary focus of the news media. One topic which has repeatedly appeared in academic discourse is the challenge of re-establishing the infrastructure of the nation, which is crucial to the survival and independence of its citizens.

Coalition forces have been occupied for some time in attempting to restore various systems in Iraq, with the intention of enabling the country to regain a sense of independence. However, it seems it is impossible for American forces to become effective facilitators of the rebuilding of Iraq, due to the widespread ill-feeling against United States personnel which is festering within the country.

America grossly underestimated the severity of the problems that would be encountered in the rebuilding program. The poor quality of the existing infrastructure in Iraq was not clearly established at the outset, leading to an inadequate assessment of the sheer scale of the task, the number of projects and confusion about the kinds of skills and equipment needed. Apparently,
"Central Command originally proposed a force of
380,000 to attack and occupy Iraq. Rumsfeld's
opening bid was about 40,000, "a division-plus,"
said three senior military officials who
participated in the discussions. Bush and his
top advisers finally approved the 250,000 troops
the commanders requested to launch the invasion.
But the additional troops that the military wanted
to secure Iraq after Saddam's regime fell were
either delayed or never sent. (Strobel and Walcott 1)

The lack of reinforcement forces earmarked for the rebuilding process has led to many difficulties for the Coalition in Iraq. Slow progress has been made in rebuilding Iraq's city areas, according to a number of commentators, including Strobel and Walcott. Apart from the difficulties presented by the labour intensive tasks themselves, the newly built projects are often targets for further damage due to military skirmishes. More importantly, each site and convoy is in constant danger of being attacked with the intent of discrediting the precarious government. The stated goal of the insurgents is to undermine the efforts of the United States and to damage the legitimacy of Iraq's interim government.

To make matters worse, according to Michaels, the new security

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Why US strategies in Iraq are failing?
We want to hear your view. Write now!