Winning the Peace

And, as Reuters reports, Baghdad is still getting only about 60 minutes of electricity per day.

About six million households have suffered regular power shortages since 30 April when insurgents attacked a major power plant supplying the capital, causing serious problems for families without access to private generators.

For three consecutive days, residents of the capital, Baghdad, have received less than one hour of electricity per day. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Electricity said it could take a week or more to restore the power supply to previous levels of about six hours daily.

With summer beginning and temperatures rising, residents are expressing frustration. "I've lost all the meat I had in my refrigerator because my generator's broken," said Baghdad shopkeeper Ahmed el-Zein. "Insurgents attack the plants to hurt the government, but it's the innocent population that suffers."

While hospitals and emergency infrastructure are usually equipped with their own generators, universities and schools -– many of which have been without electricity since 30 April -– are not. Even the so-called "Green Zone", in which the national government is headquartered, has been subject to frequent power outages.

Just to make sure I understand, let's review. The Greenzone, the 4 square mile area of Iraq which is 'safe' has problems supplying electricity to Iraq's new government? If Bush could get the electricity turned on in New Orleans after Katrina for a photo-op, one would think that he could find a way to keep the lights on at the Iraqparliamentnt building. I mean, the fact thaIraqis's voted was an earth-shatteringly important mile stone. I guess ainabilityty to read the minutes from yesterday's session due to a lack of electricity just doesn't measure up.

I doesn't if there's no government, it's just important that they voted. Right, George?

In March 2004, one year into the occupation, residents of Baghdad could expect around 16 hours of electricity a day. Two years later, however, this dropped to a mere six hours daily

But we're winning, because Freedom is on the March^tm means that we're winning. Right? And yesterday, the 60 Iraqis killed, those aren'casualtieses in a Civil War. I know because George W. Bush is a straight shooter who wouldn't mislead me. And don't worry, we'll find those WMD.

War in Iraq Insurgency Iraqi Civil War George W. Bush