Jay Garner, the retired U.S. general overseeing Iraq's reconstruction recently arrived in Baghdad to personally assess the devastation suffered by the capital. While his arrival is unwelcome by the majority of Iraqis, he has promised to repair the damage. His US-led reconstruction team does not recognize the Iraqi appointed governor Mohammed Mohsen al-Zubaidi.
"What better day in your life can you have than to be able to help somebody else, to help other people, and that is what we intend to do," Garner, head of the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA), told reporters on arrival.
After toppling Saddam's regime, the US has been trying to gain control over looters and restore electricity and water to Iraqi homes. The extremely slow process has drawn criticism and Iraqis are wary of their intentions.
One doctor told a reporter that, "I want to cry." She said, "If they give us anything it is not from their own pockets. It is from our oil."
Source: Mona Megalli Reuters |
