Source:
Associated Press Iraqi base shortages herald big problems
By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - A shortage of electricity and fuel at an Iraqi military base has led to deteriorating equipment, difficulties with medical care and spoiled food that sent Iraqi troops to the hospital, a U.S. report says.
The assessment, delivered by Stuart W. Bowen Jr., the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, said the Al Rasheed Brigade facility was not receiving enough electrical power from the city grid and was relying on generators. But contractors were not supplying enough fuel to keep the five generators going, leading to failures in the wastewater processing and refrigeration systems.
In the most significant incident, the report said 300 Iraqis were hospitalized with intestinal illnesses after eating bad food. The report added that "emergency medical care is severely affected by insufficient power."
To compensate for the lack of fuel, the report said, portable generators have been "jury-rigged" to individual buildings and created potential fire hazards. The unused equipment will deteriorate, particularly if the Iraqis keep turning it on and off to save fuel.
The report recommended that officials better coordinate with the ministers of oil and finance to make sure the military gets a continuous supply of the fuel.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070718/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq_base_report
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