WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. economic aid effort has failed disastrously in Iraq and it needs to be restructured, a new report says.
The report was prepared for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, by Anthony H. Cordesman, who holds the CSIS Arleigh H. Burke chair in strategy. It "documents a failed effort" and indicates the need for massive changes.
The U.S. government "programmed some $38 billion dollars in aid to Iraq between its invasion in 2003 and President Bush's announcement of a new strategy in January 2007. The international community pledged some $15 billion more," Cordesman wrote.
"To be successful, however, past aid plans will probably have to be totally restructured during the course of 2007 and 2008," he wrote.
"The failure to fully complete many aid projects, make them properly transferable to the Iraqis, and provide bridging or sustaining funds until they can become self-sustaining will be a steadily growing problem in 2007, and begin to require serious action during 2008 as given projects need repair, further investment, or lack operating funds," Cordesman wrote.
"U.S. core capabilities are also critically weak," he wrote. "It is far from clear that the U.S. can make a fourfold increase in some 100 civilians in the PRTs now in Iraq, many of which already lack expertise and qualifications and took two years to recruit. USAID (the U.S. Agency for International Development), the Corps of Engineers, and U.S. contractors have shown little ability to plan, administer, audit, and develop suitable effective measures."
