On U.S. television, we often see the horror of the Syrian crackdown on demonstrators, one that has already claimed 1,700 lives. But we rarely see anything of Iraq, which the U.S. occupies because it is an ugly story of continuing death and destruction, much worse than Syria.
In Iraq, the government the U.S. keeps in power is widely seen as corrupt and inept, referred to by Iraqis as the "Green Zone Government." Even with U.S. military support, it can't keep the nation secure and it can't deliver such basic services as medical care, clean water, sewage treatment and electricity. With electricity for example, Baghdad is 120 degrees this time of year, yet electricity is available just 3 to 4 hours a day.
This means limited electricity which means limited air conditioning, and the intense heat endangers babies, small children and the elderly. It means limited lighting for homes and streets and limited television, radio and computer usage. It also means businesses have limited electricity with which to operate and no surprise, Iraq has far higher unemployment than the U.S. had in the Great Depression.
To date, Syria has welcomed 300,000 Iraqis who have resettled there, perhaps the highest number of displaced resettled Iraqis anywhere in the world. To learn more, please see "Despite Its Turmoil, Syria Still Looks Like an Oasis to Iraqis," The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/world/middleeast/29baghdad.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha22
Dick
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