Saturday, February 07, 2004
Al-Jazeera on electricity in Iraq
Aljazeera reported on the continuing electricity shortages in Iraq, and determined that the American insistence on using American contractors is at the heart of the problem. I supported the idea that primary contracts for Iraq reconstruction should go only to companies from coalition countries, but we musn't bite off our nose to spite our face. If we need French, German or Russian parts to get the job done, we should go get them. Since they were willing to sell them to Saddam, I guess that they might be willing to sell them to us.
"There are actually many obstacles." Khadduri [an Iraqi nuclear scientist] told Aljazeera.net.
"First of all, Iraqi power plants are German, Russian, and French made, but the US are insisting on assigning technicians from the US company Bechtel to assess Iraq's electrical power stations. Second, they are insisting on buying equipment from Bechtel, while the main stations in Iraq are not made in USA."
"They are not making use of the experience Iraqi technicians possess in their own country's infrastructure."
He said the US authorities were not allowing Iraqis to ask technical assistance from the companies that built their electrical stations, allegedly because they belonged to countries that opposed the US war on Iraq.
Khadduri blames US companies for angering Iraqi technicians and engineers by employing Asian labour, while Iraqis are jobless, "They are not making use of the experience that Iraqi technicians possess in their own country's infrastructure."
They are neglecting them and bringing in foreign labour. It costs a lot of money and wastes time in training them to understand the nature of Iraqi electrical power stations", he said.
US companies' domination
Al-Dura power plant is Baghdad's main electricity supplier. After developing one of the plant's four turbines, maintenance was stopped on the outbreak of war in March 2003, according to Aljazeera reporter in Baghdad Abd al-Salam Abu Malik.
While the necessary maintenance equipment was imported before the war the work has not resumed. An Iraqi engineer and subcontractor in Iraq spoke to Aljazeera.net on condition of anonymity.
"There is equipment which was imported before the war, it is already in al-Dura electrical power station in Baghdad, but the Americans want a fresh bidder for the rehabilitation of the station."
"There are actually many obstacles." Khadduri [an Iraqi nuclear scientist] told Aljazeera.net.
"First of all, Iraqi power plants are German, Russian, and French made, but the US are insisting on assigning technicians from the US company Bechtel to assess Iraq's electrical power stations. Second, they are insisting on buying equipment from Bechtel, while the main stations in Iraq are not made in USA."
"They are not making use of the experience Iraqi technicians possess in their own country's infrastructure."
He said the US authorities were not allowing Iraqis to ask technical assistance from the companies that built their electrical stations, allegedly because they belonged to countries that opposed the US war on Iraq.
Khadduri blames US companies for angering Iraqi technicians and engineers by employing Asian labour, while Iraqis are jobless, "They are not making use of the experience that Iraqi technicians possess in their own country's infrastructure."
They are neglecting them and bringing in foreign labour. It costs a lot of money and wastes time in training them to understand the nature of Iraqi electrical power stations", he said.
US companies' domination
Al-Dura power plant is Baghdad's main electricity supplier. After developing one of the plant's four turbines, maintenance was stopped on the outbreak of war in March 2003, according to Aljazeera reporter in Baghdad Abd al-Salam Abu Malik.
While the necessary maintenance equipment was imported before the war the work has not resumed. An Iraqi engineer and subcontractor in Iraq spoke to Aljazeera.net on condition of anonymity.
"There is equipment which was imported before the war, it is already in al-Dura electrical power station in Baghdad, but the Americans want a fresh bidder for the rehabilitation of the station."
0 Comments:
