U.S. Plan to Build Iraq Clinics Falters

The Washington Post, not normally an organisation that one considers on the left of the political field, is carrying a story on today's front page concerning the rebuilding of Iraq and how well progress is being made.

Considering the Bush administration's recent attack on the media's constant negative reporting from the region I think it's significant and worthwhile to look at this report from one of the administration's allies.

The Post reports:

A reconstruction contract for the building of 142 primary health centers across Iraq is running out of money, after two years and roughly $200 million, with no more than 20 clinics now expected to be completed, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says.


Coming with little public warning, the 86 percent shortfall of completions dismayed the World Health Organization's representative for Iraq. "That's not good. That's shocking," Naeema al-Gasseer said by telephone from Cairo. "We're not sending the right message here. That's affecting people's expectations and people's trust, I must say."

If this is the kind of news being reported by their allies, can we be remotely surprised that those critical of the decision to invade find it hard to report on the good news stories emanting from Iraq?

Click on title for full story.

Tags: Bush, Iraq War, Lack of Progress, Failure,