It's been a while since we pressed this particular button but it seems it's time:
Baghdad is facing a 'catastrophe' with cases of cholera rising sharply in the past three weeks to more than 100, strengthening fears that poor sanitation and the imminent rainy season could create an epidemic.
The disease - spread by bacteria in contaminated water, which can result in rapid dehydration and death - threatens to blunt growing optimism in the Iraqi capital after a recent downturn in violence. Two boys in an orphanage have died and six other children were diagnosed with the disease, according to the Iraqi government. 'We have a catastrophe in Baghdad,' an official said. (Guardian)
We have done such a good job for the average Baghdadi, that now are they not only unable to go outside their houses but they are unsafe in their houses as well. When the rainy season comes, the sewerage system will burst at the seams and there won't be any safe water for anyone except Americans in the Green Zone.
Let's look this one straight in the face. A once well developed country with a sound infrastructure is now a public health and social basket case, thanks to George Bush's whim to invade them in 2003. We know how to prevent cholera and we know how to treat it. It was rare in Iraq before the invasion. Now there is a threatened epidemic. And all the US military "surge" can do is kill people, not save their lives from dirty water.
I am disgusted (again and still).
- Log in to post comments
Iraq in 2002 was already pretty close to a basket case due to more than a decade of economic sanctions. The invasion and occupation which stimulated the insurgency and low-level civil war put it in.
I have trouble reconciling this UNICEF report on childhood mortality in Iraq from 1999 with your last paragraph.
Revere-Ok, now George isnt in charge of the toilets anymore. You know that from the last hit on this. Iraq is in charge of their own toilet dirt by their taking it over. If you want I can give you the number to the Health Ministry to voice your concern. Just as the chlorine for sanitization was three months ago. They had cholera in large numbers before we went in, while we were in and I'll bet they have it afterwards too. The chlorine alone was held up by the Iraqi's and not the US. The US could have had that picked up, in and running in about 3 hours if they wanted to but we are now in the request mode. We respond if they ask us too. Its an Iraqi problem. This one you are going to have to voice with either the Iraqi's or the people at UNICEF/WHO. You might remind yourself that the vaunted UN offices were blown up a few years ago and they couldnt get people to come in to work. Now its safe enough and the Iraqi's are regaining control. There have been NO bombing missions to date and brought to light in November against any targets and only 11 helicopter attacks. The number of terrorist attacks has gone from some 700 plus a month in July to a hair under 100 in November.
The types of attacks are also dropping. No more big bomb blasts as a rule. Small yield weapons. The old weapons depots have been, mined, booby trapped and put under guard so the supply problem for the insurgents is much lower.
The US Central Command has a website and its not just a rah-rah session. Videos, raw, uncut, audio, news stories all are on the site. Here it is.
http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom1/Shared%20Documents/RSS.aspx
So nice there are so many fewer attacks. Gives the military time to deal with really important stuff like toilets.
Randy: Don't be naive. We give them money, support and often tell them what to do. If a government with so much support and confidence from GWB can't provide clean water, it isn't worth a tinker's damn and doesn't deserve. But of course water isn't oil. I guess they don't mix.
Randy:
Iraqi children dying of cholera is for you a good thing, am I correct? Your government can do not harm, correct? Torture of Iraqi prisoners is also good, since the army gets good information that way, correct? Nuke Iran because they will soon attack Isreal, correct?