Should Bush have given Iraq reconstruction money as a loan?
Sen. Susan Collins, a member of the Senate committee that oversees U.S. funding, said the Bush administration should have agreed to give the reconstruction money to Iraq as a loan in 2003 instead as an outright gift.
Did the State Department miss opportunities to rebuild Iraq?
The missed opportunities were not lost on at least 15 senior State and Defense department officials interviewed in the report, including ambassadors and generals, who were directly involved in rebuilding Iraq.
How much has the US spent on Iraq Reconstruction?
To date, the U.S. has spent more than $60 billion in reconstruction grants to help Iraq get back on its feet after the country was broken by more than two decades of war, sanctions and dictatorship.
How much more can the US give Iraq to stabilize it?
Less than six months later, President George W. Bush asked for $20 billion more to further stabilize Iraq and help turn it into an ally that could gain economic independence and reap global investments.
The Road to recovery
Iraq, which was once home to the wealthiest and the longest running Ottoman Empire, has been battling with continuous instability and conflict since the election of Saddam Hussain. A population of more than 37 million have been in despair, suffering first the Iran-Iraq war in 1980 and then the US and UK invasion in 2003.
Now is the time
In 2019 Iraq saw 462,000 people returning; surpassing the number of people leaving for the third year in a row.
Pooja Kapahi
Pooja is a passionate gender rights activist and works towards amplifying the voices of young women especially those living in urban resettlement colonies in India.
Who said the Bush administration should have agreed to give the reconstruction money to Iraq as a loan in 2003 instead of an
Sen. Susan Collins , a member of the Senate committee that oversees U.S. funding, said the Bush administration should have agreed to give the reconstruction money to Iraq as a loan in 2003 instead as an outright gift.
Who concluded that the U.S. has spent too much money on Iraq?
In his final report to Congress, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen 's conclusion was all too clear: Since the invasion a decade ago this month, the U.S. has spent too much money in Iraq for too few results.
Who is the speaker of the Iraqi parliament?
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, the country's top Sunni Muslim official, told auditors that the rebuilding efforts "had unfavorable outcomes in general.". "You think if you throw money at a problem, you can fix it," Kurdish government official Qubad Talabani, son of Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, told auditors.
Who is the Prime Minister of Iraq?
In interviews with Bowen, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said the U.S. funding "could have brought great change in Iraq" but fell short too often. "There was misspending of money," said al-Maliki, a Shiite Muslim whose sect makes up about 60 percent of Iraq's population.
Was the reconstruction effort bigger than anticipated?
The reconstruction effort "grew to a size much larger than was ever anticipated," Bowen told The Associated Press in a preview of his last audit of U.S. funds spent in Iraq, to be released Wednesday. "Not enough was accomplished for the size of the funds expended.".
Is Iraq safe for the public?
Today, Iraqi forces have varying successes in safekeeping the public and only limited ability to secure their land, air and sea borders. The report also cites Defense Secretary Leon Panetta as saying that the 2011 withdrawal of American troops from Iraq weakened U.S. influence in Baghdad.
Who is trying to rebuild Mosul?
Mosul priest Father Amanuel Adel Kloo, who is trying to rebuild his damaged Mosul church, told ACT Alliance: "Daesh isn't gone. There are sleeper cells and fighters who have merely shaved off their beards. The bigger problem is that 70% of the people in Mosul still support the ideology of Daesh.
How many properties are being rebuilt in Mosul?
Just over 6,000 out of the 24,000 properties due to be rebuilt or repaired were completed by September 2018, when the last report was released. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which acts to help countries in need help themselves, said in 2017 that some 10,000 people were employed in rebuilding Mosul.
How many children have returned to school in Mosul?
The returners. Nearly 90% of those who left Mosul have returned, according to the UN. Of those, more than half a million school children have been allowed to go back to school after 638 schools reopened - a third of which have been repaired.
How long does it take to rebuild the Al Tahira Cathedral?
Fraternite en Iraq is now planning to rebuild one of Mosul's oldest churches, the Al Tahira cathedral, which was used as a shooting range by IS, and Mr Camurat says it should take between 12 and 18 months. Image: The inside of the heavily damaged Syriac Orthodox Al Tahira church in Mosul.
How long did it take to dislodge IS from Mosul?
It took nine months for a coalition of Iraqi soldiers, other militia and a US-led task force to dislodge IS from Mosul - a significant part of a longer war to eject the militant group from Iraq.
What did Iraqi soldiers dance on?
As patriotic music blared out of portable speaker systems, Iraqi soldiers danced on tanks and re-raised their national flag. Image: Members of the Iraqi Army with an Islamic State flag, after fighting militants in western Mosul in June 2017.
How many people fled Mosul?
It is believed about one million of Mosul's inhabitants fled the city during the occupation by IS, also known as Daesh. Millions more left their homes in other areas in the north and west of Iraq, in fear of what might happen to them.
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