Daniel Pipes:

I have complained for five years now that the U.S. government assumed responsibilities in Iraq – constitution writing, school textbooks, inter-tribal relations, dam conservation – that rightfully belong to Iraqis. The purest symbol of this usurpation, however, is the provisioning of utilities. In particular, Americans have for five long years assumed responsibility for, and Iraqis have griped about, the inconsistent supply of electricity. . . .

This is the worst combination, with American taxpayers paying through the nose for the welfare of Iraqis – and to no avail, as the money is squandered. One wonders when Washington will end this unhappy dependence.

The dam situation remains deeply worrisome.