SOCIETY:

• January is only three months away, and by all indications Iraqis are looking forward to having their elections on time. Iraq the Model blog reports on the latest opinion poll:
  

  "In a recent poll 80.5% of Iraqis showed that they want elections to be held at time without any delay. The poll that was conducted by Al Sabah center for public opinion studies showed also that 15% were with delaying the elections while 4% did not have any opinion. The poll took the opinions of 850 citizens of Baghdad from different ethnic, social and religious groups who were selected according to the simple random sample method. 40% of those were women."

• To insure against any delays, election preparation have been underway for quite some time now. According to election officials, voter registration is expected to commence in November and continue for 6 weeks. The certification of political entities will also commence at the same time and last 4 weeks. This is a necessary first step, as only certified political entities will have a right to field candidates. To that end, candidates and parties will have to fulfill certain criteria:
  

  "1-A list of members qualified for voting that contains no less than 500 individual. 2-An internal regulations document that lists the rules that governs the party’s activities.
  3-Should have no connection with a militia or an active armed group.
  4-Should not receive funds from any militia or active armed group.
  5-The political entity should not provoke, take part or encourage terrorist or any criminal activities and violence.
  6-The name of the party should not incite hatred or violence and the logo of the party should not contain any religious or military symbols."

• This should help ensure that all candidates share the common denominator of a commitment to public order and security. Meanwhile, to improve security during the election period, "[e]ighty-five Iraqi Police Service officers will graduate from the Election Security Course in an International Zone training facility, Oct. 14, as part of the Iraqi government’s ongoing effort to provide security for the country’s upcoming elections. The six-day course is designed to augment officer skills with specialty training in effective election security issues. Instruction provides basic knowledge, skills, and conceptional understanding to effectively and efficiently maintain order and assure a peaceful election." More will be needed and more are on their way.
  


• As part of its commitment to Iraqi pro-democracy forces, "[t]he Bush administration plans to give strategic advice, training and polling data to what it deems as 'moderate and democratic' Iraqi political parties with candidates running in the country's upcoming elections... [T]he administration said it would provide 'strategic advice, technical assistance, training, polling data, assistance and other forms of support' to 'moderate, democratically oriented political parties'." Hopefully one of the parties to be so assisted will be the Iraqi Pro-Democracy Party, a brainchild of Iraqi pro-liberation blogger brothers Ali, Omar and Mohammed Fadhil. As the party's manifesto states:
  

  "We believe that we represent an important segment of the Iraqi people that was never organized before under any category as a result of the oppression of the past regime. Now this segment has come to see the necessity to contribute to the building of a new Iraq in a way that is entirely different from the old ways."

• A cause certainly worth supporting. Speaking of Iraqis putting their proverbial hats in the ring come January next year, you can also read this profile of female Iraqi candidates: "They have been encouraged by a clause in the interim constitution guaranteeing at least a quarter of the 275 seats in Iraq's new National Assembly to women."
  


• Meanwhile, on Iraqi university campuses democratic debate is already in high swing - the good, the bad, and the ugly of it - but all an entirely new experience for Iraqi students:
  

  "Within the relatively safe confines of Baghdad's university campuses, a picture emerges of what democracy could look like throughout the country if worries about security hadn't trumped everything else.

  "It's not pretty. Indeed, it's messy, uneven and at times angry. Students and professors alike are still learning what democracy is and debating how to execute it on campuses - or whether universities are ready for such debates at all.

  "Like American universities, Iraqi campuses provide a haven for open political thought. The discussions are much more progressive than they are off the grounds, in large part because campuses are among the few places that aren't overburdened by security problems."

• In the words of Nadhum al Abadi, an engineering professor at al Mustansiriya: "When the change happened, Iraq was like a big prison cell that suddenly opened, and people were finally free and able to express themselves... It was like a pressure pot that exploded... With time, it will calm down."
  


• The growing spirit of openness and engagement within Iraq's new civil society is becoming evident outside of the institutions of higher learning, too. Sloan Mann, who had worked in Iraq this summer as part of a US Institute of Peace conflict management training team is reporting progress in rebuilding Iraq's human capital:
  

  "I worked to promote cooperation and understanding among Iraq's diverse religious and ethnic groups. Goals of a conflict-management conference included strengthening local capacity to peacefully manage the contentious issues facing society and teaching the fundamental skills facilitators need to conduct intergroup dialogues. The trainees were predominantly from Ramadi, Baghdad, Tikrit, Balad, Mosul, and Kirkuk; 17 of the 41 were women, who livened discussions by forcing the more traditional-minded men to listen to progressive perspectives...

  "The trainees' sophistication, candor, and enthusiasm were impressive. In similar discussions one year ago, such nuanced understanding of the issues was absent. Participants had informed opinions on the political situation and debated the structure of planned elections. Although the trainees complained about mistakes made by the Coalition Provisional Authority and the dangerous security situation, they were generally forward-looking and wanting to contribute to the new Iraq. This is a marked change from the victim mentality I encountered immediately after the war.

  "Most striking was their willingness to discuss deeply personal experiences. During one session, a participant admitted to carrying out a revenge killing (a tribal tradition still prevalent in Iraq). Another talked of regular beatings during his 15 years in an Iranian jail after he was captured in the Iran-Iraq War. A former political prisoner, accused of being too religious and a threat to the Iraqi regime, described having his toenails pulled out and nose broken repeatedly. All had harrowing tales, yet instead of retreating from public life, these people are choosing to become activists, risking their lives to work for a peaceful Iraq."

• While the spirit of civil engagement is growing inside their country, two Iraqis have traveled overseas to show their appreciation to America for making it all possible. Medical doctor Hayder Abdulkarin and Baghdad University professor Athraa Hasoon are currently on a tour across the United States to thank Americans for the liberation:
  

  "Athraa Hasoon, a biology professor... sees improvements at the university where she teaches. 'The lab we have is very, very small and cheap," she said. That is changing. The university is acquiring access to the Internet, microscopes and satellites, she said'...

  "[Hayder] Abdulkarin runs a private clinic in Samawa, in the south of Iraq. He sees 100 patients every day. If that many patients can come to see him, it is a sign of stability in Iraq, he said. 'Each day 30 to 40 to 50 patients asked me about medical advice or management, so if it is not safe, how can all those people come and ask,' he said. 'There is bombs here and there, but this is not in all of Iraq. This is in small areas of Iraq, not all the time and all the day, not all the month, not all the week,' he said. Insurgents come from outside of Iraq, he said. 'The majority of Iraqis, they want peace. And they want someone to help them. They think there is a very strong partner, a very good partner willing to support them, willing to help them,' he said of the United States...

  "During Saddam Hussein's rule, 65 to 75 percent of medical equipment supplies were malfunctioning, [Abdulkarin] said. He was restricted from traveling outside of Iraq and is a general practitioner now because he was not permitted to pursue further education, he said. When Saddam ruled, he saw his relatives executed under Saddam Hussein's regime in 2001 at Abu Ghraib Prison and then had to buy the right to take back their bodies, he said."

• Hasoon and Abdulkarin are traveling on behalf of Iraq-America Freedom Alliance, an organization advocating for democracy and the dismantling of terrorism. You can read more about the tour here and here.
  


• Riadh Al-Mahaidi is president of the Australian Iraqi Forum and head of the structural engineering group in the department of civil engineering at Monash University, Australia, reports on the progress in Iraqi higher education:
  

  "Over the past two weeks, a high-level delegation from the University of Baghdad and the Iraqi National Academy of Sciences visited Australia at the invitation of the Australian Iraqi Forum. The delegation was headed by dissident scientist Hussain Al-Shahristani, who spent 11 years in solitary confinement for refusing to join Saddam Hussein's nuclear weapons program. He is now president of the Iraqi National Academy of Sciences. The delegation also included University of Baghdad president Mosa Al-Mosawe and its engineering faculty dean Ali Al-Kiliddar.

  "The story they conveyed to us, and to the senior university managements and government officials they visited, carried signs of hope and optimism in the new Iraq. Iraqi universities are functioning regularly despite of all the difficulties they face. The delegation demonstrated how determined they are to revive higher education and to elevate research standards at their institutions. Their commitment was remarkable.

  "The group visited seven universities and signed two memoranda of understanding with Monash University and another with the University of Technology, Sydney. A draft MOU with the Australian National University is under review."

• The article provides an useful background to the fate of Iraqi universities under Saddam and to the current revival of the higher education sector. Numerous USAID programs are undoubtedly playing an important role in this process:
  

  "In September, work progressed on the installation of equipment to provide Internet access at a major university in northern Iraq. This university had no network to connect the campus buildings, and only 70 of the institution’s 1,000 computers had access to the Internet. The new computer network will improve the communication services inside the campus and with other Iraqi universities and institutions.

  "Also under the [Higher Education and Development] HEAD program, three small grants have been approved for faculty of university medical and engineering colleges to engage in two medical studies on appendicitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

  "Additionally, the HEAD program supported the participation of two medical college faculty members in an international medical association conference in Scotland in September.

  "Finally, under the HEAD partnership with the State University of New York at Stony Brook, more than 1,500 archaeology books have been catalogued and are being prepared for shipment to two major Iraqi universities."

• It's not just universities, of course, but the education sector generally: "[t]he World Bank said... it had granted Iraq 60 million dollars to build and repair schools. The deal, signed on the sidelines of a donors' conference in Tokyo, provided the grant to build 100 schools and repair another 140." As another report adds: "This project is complemented by an emergency textbook-printing project financed by the multi-donor trust fund to print and distribute 69 million textbooks for the 2004 to 2005 school year." The authorities are also setting up mobile schools to attract back to education the country's Marsh Arabs.
  


• While teachers and academics are striving to improve the minds of the new generation, Alharith al-Asady is trying to cure their souls. This Iraqi psychiatrist is trying to steer young angry Iraqis away from the path of violence:
  

  "Iraq's bloody chaos has traumatized many Iraqis, but what troubles one of its top psychiatrists most is the angry young men eager to join the anti-U.S. insurgency.

  " 'More of my patients ask my opinion about the guerrillas. They are confused and anxious. Some lean toward the insurgents,' doctor Alharith al-Asady told Reuters. 'Personally I don't see it as a resistance. I call it violence. But the patients trust me so I try and talk them out of it. I encourage them to seek an education,' says Asady, who sees himself as a psychological warrior against violence...

  "Contemplating Iraq's future in his spacious office at Baghdad University, he believes it all depends on whether professionals like himself can educate Iraqis after years of dictatorship, invasion and occupation and the daily carnage.

  " 'How can Iraqis understand what a human right is when they never had one?' he asks. 'They don't know what the rules are now, what the law is. Everyone does what they want. We can only stabilize the country when Iraqis begin to learn about a new way of life'."

• From sublime to ridiculous, Iraqi TV has a new most popular show:
  

  "In the living room of a modest downtown home, a 6-foot-tall drag queen is trying to kiss a 4-foot-tall man. Their antics are interrupted when they are caught by a woman who claims to be the drag queen's mother. 'Cut!' the director yells. The room roars with laughter.

  "This is the set of Iraq's most popular television show. Caricateer - or Caricatures - is Iraq's answer to Saturday Night Live, a variety show driven by biting political satire. It's must-see TV for millions of Iraqis every Friday at 2:35 p.m. Thousands more catch the show on bootleg videodiscs, which sell for less than $1.

  "The show's popularity stems from the shots it takes at topics ranging from Iraq's interim government and the nation's violence to the lack of electricity and the U.S. military presence. Such criticism was taboo under the regime of former leader Saddam Hussein."

• It certainly beats watching the never-ending speeches of the Great Leader.
  


• And in sport, an ambitious plan for future soccer extravaganza is hatched:
  

  "Preliminary talks have taken place between the Iraqi Football Association and its Jordanian counterpart about a joint attempt to stage football's showpiece tournament [the World Cup], Crown Prince Feisal Al-Hussein of Jordan has revealed. Because Fifa is rotating the World Cup around the world, the next opportunity for the Middle East, which comes under the Asian confederation, would be 2018."

• Says Prince Feisal: "A lot depends on what the region is going to look like in four or five years... The situation at the moment would make any bid ludicrous. But I think the next bid for the World Cup is in three or four years. By then, hopefully, things will have improved dramatically."
  


• Soccer fans might also note that Iraqi football league has finally restarted. "The opening fixture resulted in a 5-1 victory for al-Shurta, which means 'The Police' in Arabic, against Naft-ul-Junoob."

ECONOMY:

• The International Monetary Fund is optimistic about the prospects of Iraqi economy:
  

  "[The IMF] predicts a post-conflict economic boom in Iraq this year and in 2005 but admits lending to the country is a big risk because of the fighting and huge debt...

  "The organisation says the Iraqi gross domestic product (GDP), or total economic output, should soar 52 per cent this year. Then 17 per cent in 2005 and 9 per cent a year on average from 2006 to 2009.

  "The IMF says oil output should climb from 2.1 million barrels per day this year to 3.5 million by 2009.

  " 'The authorities' policies have succeeded in promoting overall macroeconomic stability despite the difficult security environment,' the IMF said. 'Inflationary pressures have remained relatively subdued, the exchange rate has remained largely unchanged and gross international reserves have increased by about $3 billion since end-2003.'

  "It says its [$463 million] emergency loan to Iraq is expected to galvanise international support for the rebuilding of Iraq, including for relief of foreign debt amounting to more than $120 billion."

• Mindful of the importance of fostering private initiative in what until recently used to be a rigid socialist economy, USAID has recently awarded important contract towards developing Iraq's private sector:
  

  "The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced contract awards to The Louis Berger Group, Inc. to stimulate the Iraqi economy through private sector growth, employment generating activities and vocational and technical training programs.

  "Under the $120 million award to assist in developing the private sector, the U.S.-based firm will provide assistance in restructuring and privatization of state owned enterprises, developing capital markets, trade policy and business management skills. The firm will also implement activities to promote the development of micro, small and medium businesses...

  "A separate $88 million award to The Louis Berger Group, Inc. for vocational education is intended to encourage workforce development with an emphasis on vocational training, technical training and employment services."

• A Kentucky company, meanwhile, is commencing operations in Iraq to provide job training and placement services. "Under a $17 million subcontract from the Louis Berger Group of East Orange, N.J., ResCare will offer services similar to those it provides in the United States through its Job Corps and career centers... Under the two-year contract, ResCare will employ about 300 workers throughout Iraq... Most will be Iraqis, although a few Americans will be hired... The Job Corps centers that ResCare operates under federal contract with the Department of Labor provide 'last-chance' training for at-risk people ages 16 to 24... and place graduates into jobs." Which, all things considered, should be a good preparation for Iraq's reviving labor market.
  


• There is some good news for the financial markets, too: "Al-Warkaa Bank bought the largest amount of the new Iraqi bonds yet on October 10 at the Central Bank of Iraq auction. The relatively small bank is surpassing even the largest banks, such as Dar Es Salaam and Credit Bank of Iraq, due to U.S. investor support, the Bank says. New equipment needed to upgrade the Iraqi stock market was delivered in late September. The market has climbed nearly 400 percent since opening and now has over thirty stocks trading two days a week, according to a statement from the company."
  


• In currency news, "[t]he Central Bank of Iraq recently issued the 500-dinar paper note... The Central Bank has decided to issue new currency notes in small denominations to facilitate market transactions. With the decision came the addition of the 500-dinar paper note to the current denominations of 50, 250, 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 dinars. According to the Saudi News Agency, the new notes will also include denominations of 25, 50 and 100 dinars." You can see the note's design at the link above.
  


• Many American soldiers are staking their own money on the long-term prospects of the Iraqi currency: "In drawers and footlockers, servicemembers in Iraq are banking on the future by hoarding millions of Iraq’s year- old currency, the dinar. Many suspect the dinar’s precipitous drop in the past decade could mean a huge rebound ahead. Each dinar was once worth a few dollars; they’re now worth a fraction of a penny apiece."
  


• Iraq's state insurance company is also back in business, after a hiatus of more than a decade. An Iraqi blogger comments: "For more than a decade before the war the government simply couldn’t afford to commit to such documents because of the wide spread of armed robbery and crime. They couldn't provide insurance for life, cars or houses or anything that matter. They were telling us frankly 'we can't protect you and we won't make it easier for you'. The fact that despite all the violence that Iraq is witnessing the government is now willing to make such a risky commitment tells a lot. It shows that they are willing to perform their jobs despite the risks and costs and it shows a belief in that the security situation is going to improve in the near future or at least it’s not going to deteriorate."
  


• Iraq has officially applied for the full membership of the World Trade Organisation, after being granted an observer status a few months ago. While the official accession process can take years and will not proceed until the security situation improves, the decision is a positive step ahead as the application process "is considered an important prod for internal reforms and a way to gain the confidence of international investors. Membership also would open Iraq's economy to fierce competition and allow its companies easier access to the world's biggest markets." The United States, meanwhile, has officially removed Iraq form the list of countries under tax credit restrictions.
  


• In other trade news, trade with Jordan has rebounded to its pre-war levels, reaching JD350 million ($0.5 billion) in the first eight months of the year. Next on the bilateral agenda, "extending an oil pipeline, upgrading border centres, a highway linking the two countries, upgrading port facilities in Aqaba and establishing a free zone area at the border."
  


• And in Baghdad, construction will shortly begin on nine new shopping malls, which will combine modern facilities with the traditional Iraqi "folkloric" look.
  


• In oil news, there are good prospects for increased cooperation between Iraq and Jordan: "The Jordanian Council of Ministers decided to start conducting a feasibility study on constructing an oil pipeline linking the Kingdom with Iraq... Minister of State and Government Spokesperson was quoted a saying that the study will be conducted in line with a recent understanding reached between energy officials of both countries. A source at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said that the pipeline would link Jordan's sole refinery in the industrial city of Zarqa with the Iraqi oil pumping station in Haditha, 260 kilometres northwest of Baghdad."
  


• Meanwhile, as part of the plan to modernize infrastructure and boost production, Iraq will be inviting foreign oil companies to help exploit its considerable and underutilised reserves:
  

  "The interim government believes it can double oil production by 2010 if it exploits existing facilities and develops new fields. But it thinks that the only way to do this is by involving the West's energy giants. Iraq currently produces under 3 million barrels of oil a day.

  "Thamer Ghadban, the country's Oil Minister, said: 'We believe that there is at least 2.5 to 3 million barrels per day of new oil production capacity that could, in the long term, be added to our production levels.'

  "In an interview in a Shell newsletter that is distributed to its Middle Eastern clients, Mr Ghadban added that Iraq would open its doors to the oil giants early next year. 'We would like to open a dialogue with international oil companies [IOCs]. We are now formulating our policies ... and we think there is room for IOCs in Iraq - in particular in the upstream because we need new investment'."

• The oil companies seem to be equally excited about the prospect of entering the Iraqi market:
  

  "Outside Iraq, the minister's problems are of a very different kind; they stem from the fact that wherever he goes in the world there is a queue of senior international oil company officials jostling to meet him. At the last OPEC meeting, and the subsequent seminar in Vienna in September, Ghadhban faced a deluge of requests for meetings from the moment he stepped out of his room in the Inter-Continental Hotel each morning until late into the night... "For public consumption, the international oil firms are adopting a general position that the lack of security and an elected government prevent them from going into Iraq in the near term. But that does not reveal the full picture - far from it. Behind the scenes there is perceptible jockeying among the companies to make contacts and develop relations with the Iraqi oil authorities in preparation for future developments."

• In related news, Shell has been asked by the Iraqi government to develop a master plan for the country's natural gas sector. "It is unfortunate that in the past the value of gas was not recognized and during oil exploration and production activities gas was considered to be an inconvenience and was flared off... We believe that Iraq could be one of the region's big gas exporting countries and that Iraq might be able to contribute to the supply of gas to southern Europe in the future," says Iraqi oil minister Thamer al-Ghadhban. Meanwhile, ChevronTexaco will provide the Iraqi Oil Ministry with assistance and advice on improving the upstream sector. And a group of Iraqi oil experts will be visiting Aberdeen in Scotland to learn from the North Sea exploration and extraction expertise. "The visitors from Iraq's state-owned Oil Exploration Company are keen to learn as much as possible about advances in computer software and technology. They say oil production in Iraq has been stagnant for years and are keen to catch up."
  


• In transport news, the prices of flights between Baghdad and neighboring capitals have dropped recently, from $400 to $300 for a one way ticket and from $750 to $600 for a round trip to Amman and $250 for a one way ticket and $500 for a round trip to Damascus.
  



Iraqi railways are also undergoing much needed upgrades, due to efforts by the Ministry of Transportation and international agencies. The rehabilitation effort will start with the three main railroad stations at Mosul, Baghdad and Basra, and progress over the next two weeks to another 28 of nearly 130 small stations at cities across Iraq. As part of the effort


"the Ministry of Transportation considers standardizing, reviving and modernizing the railroad a vital recovery link for Iraq. Rails now run from Mosul in the north to Basra in the south, a nearly 1,263mile lifeline...

"An anti-aircraft gun on the roof of the Baghdad station made the depot a target during the 2003 ousting of the former regime. A complete modernization of the main terminal is underway and is expected to take about six months to complete.

"Rehabbing of the stations will cost more than $55 million, said Safa Shubat, an engineer familiar with both U.S. and Iraqi railroads. The ministry and other agencies are upgrading the track for safety, as well as rolling stock, he said. Shubat grew up in Iraq and traveled to the United States for degrees in engineering."

• Iraq has recently signed an agreement with Syria regarding transport arrangements between the two countries. "The agreement includes providing facilities necessary for transporting goods into Iraq through Syrian harbors and activating the Iraqi Navigation Company for mutual cooperation in implementing an expansion and development program by exchanging experts and technical studies in the field of harbors."
  


• The agreement is already bearing fruit, with Syria lifting restrictions on railway shipments between Turkey and Iraq via a railway line linking all three countries. "The positive outcome we reached on this issue will have a positive impact on our exports to Iraq. It will also decrease to a certain extent the [security] difficulties experienced by transporters," said Turkish Foreign Trade Minister Kursat Tuzmen.
  


• In agriculture, Iraqis are working hard to revive their once famous date palm industry:
  

  "Dates could again become a big asset to the economy of Iraq, once ranked the world's top producer and exporter of the fruit, which is regarded as a national symbol with deep religious and historic roots. But the Iran-Iraq war, Saddam's draining of vast southern marshes, U.N. sanctions and the most recent conflict have led to the industry's decline. "Farron Ahmed Hussein, a senior official in the Ministry of Agriculture in Baghdad, said production this year was expected to hover around 600,000 tons. No accurate statistics are available for 2003, when U.S. forces invaded... But... with more crop dusting, fertilizer application and improvement of date palm culture, Iraq had the potential for boosting output to 1 million tons, thus regaining the world's No. 1 spot."

• In other agricultural news, the authorities are planning to assist Iraqi farmers by making available 26 billion Iraqi dinars' ($18 million) worth of loans to promote the growth of the industry.

RECONSTRUCTION:

• The authorities report that the pace of reconstruction is speeding up: "Army officials responsible for managing reconstruction programs and administering contracts said today that they have so far committed -- or set aside for specific projects -- $10.5 billion in reconstruction monies. Acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee briefed reporters in the Pentagon today that $7.7 billion are already obligated, 'which means we have actually signed contracts.' He added that officials also already have more than $1 billion in 'construction work in the ground'."
  


• According to the head of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, Ambassador William Taylor, reconstruction is progressing well: "Right now there are 28 water treatment plants under construction, and five have been completed. I'll just go through a quick list and then open to your questions. There are 13 sewer projects under construction; one's been completed. There are 72 health care facilities under construction, and 73 more have been completed. There are 3,100 schools that have been rehabilitated. There are five public buildings under construction; one's completed. There are 39,000 police trained and equipped across this country. There are 14,000 Border Police trained and equipped. There are three regular army battalions trained and equipped; eight National Guard battalions trained and equipped; 62 border forts under construction; nine fire stations under construction; 37 electricity distribution substations under construction or under rehabilitation; nine military bases under construction."
  


• And according to Charles Hess, Director of the Department of the Army’s Project and Contracting Office (PCO), there are currently more than 80,000 Iraqis employed on 373 US-funded reconstruction projects in Iraq.
  


• From the Iraqi side, too, the authorities are noting continuing progress. For example, the Ministry of Labor and Municipalities "has [recently] finished 53 new sanitation projects in a number of Iraqi provinces... in Kerbala, Anbar, Meisan, Basra, Baghdad, Diyala, Saladdin, Ta'meem, Wasit, Babil, Qadissiya, Najaf and Thi Qar... [T]he projects included establishing new sanitation networks, buildings for the sanitation departments in the said provinces, as well as new purification centers and rehabilitating old lines and networks."
  


• The city of Baghdad will benefit from a recent World Bank grant of $85 million for project including water infrastructure, sewerage, and construction. Meanwhile, the Diyala governorate will spend $2 billion from the funds allocated by the United States and local authorities to implement 320 projects throughout the region. The projects will concentrate on the supply of clean water and improving water infrastructure in the region.
  


• And work continues in Karbala, too: "Ministry of Municipality and General Works allocated 47 billion Iraqi dinars [$32 million] to implement service projects in Karbala'a governorate within the Ministry's investment plan for 2005. The director of Karbala'a Municipality (Mr. Fhadel Abd Own) announced that the department prepared a huge plan which includes covering the city roads costing 7 billion Iraqi dinars [$0.47 million], paving streets costing 18.5 billion Iraqi dinars [$1.2 million], counting the old grounds in city center (which cars can not reach) costing 300 million Iraqi dinars, works of shaping sidewalks with 9 billion Iraqi dinars [$0.6 million], constructing junctions, painting streets within works of engineering Traffic Department costing 585 million Iraqi dinars, constructing perfect games city costing 10 billion Iraqi dinars [$0.68 million], and other service projects limited with one billion Iraqi dinars."
  


• Other vital reconstruction work continues elsewhere around Iraq: repairing the Al-Abboda floating bridge in Najaf governorate, completion of 53 new sewerage projects in thirteen governorates around the country, opening of the Um Al-Hamam water project in Karbala governorate to supply water to 7,000 households, 85 new water infrastructure project recently completed by the Ministry of Municipality and General Works in 15 governorates; cleaning and developing Al-Khasa River at the cost of 3.5 billion dinars; and reconstruction of the Al- Saqlawiya bridge in Anbar.
  


• This project, meanwhile, will help to bring in more regional expertise to help with the reconstruction: "Arab Gulf chambers of commerce and industry will set up a Gulf trade center in Iraq to help private sectors in Gulf states win a share of Iraq's reconstruction... 'The new body will help Gulf businessmen to win contracts in the process of Iraq's reconstruction,' [the secretary-general of the Union of Gulf Trade Chambers, Mohammed Mullah] said. Mullah stressed the importance of building bridges and strong relations with the Iraqi private sector, noting that Iraq's business circles welcomed the move and partnership with Arab Gulf states."
  


• There's also more direct financial assistance coming from Iraq's neighbors: "The President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) said on Wednesday that the IDB will aid Iraq, one of its member countries, with $500 million for reconstruction efforts in the country and will help ease Iraqs debt to the IDB by extending the length of time for reimbursement of previous loans acquired under Saddam Hussein."
  


• And the president of the World Bank, James Wolfensohn, pledged that $400 million committed by the Bank for Iraq's reconstruction will start flowing into the country by the end of the year.
  


• In electricity news, progress continues to be achieved in rebuilding Iraq's power infrastructure:
  

  "The commissioning of the generators in September added 47 Megawatts of electricity to the grid – enough to fuel 141,000 Iraqi homes, adding to the estimated 15 million Iraqi homes already serviced by the national grid... Electricity production in the country averages approximately 5,000 Megawatts, a total that exceeds the pre-war level of 4,400...

  "A new 30-kilometer transmission line was also brought online in September in South Central Iraq, bringing more electricity to the region and linking the country’s first new power station to a key substation in the region. The installation of the line and commissioning of the four generators are the latest successes in the $1 billion effort to rebuild the country’s antiquated electrical infrastructure.

  "The successes come as weeks of inventory and training were completed to transfer seven electrical stations back to the Ministry of Electricity. The transfer marked the completion of the U.S.-led renovation at the seven sites that put 429 Megawatts on the national grid...

  "Six additional power stations are slated to be transferred to the Ministry in October, a move that will return an additional 986 Megawatts of generation capacity – enough to service 2 million Iraqi homes.

  "Since arriving in Iraq last fall, the Corps has built more than 1,200 towers, repaired 8,600 kilometers of transmission line and rehabilitated or built enough generators to bring an additional 1,621 Megawatts to the national grid – enough to service 4.8 million Iraqi homes."

• And a few days later, further progress was reported in the capital: "A new generator came on line here today bringing enough new electricity to the energy- thirsty country to fuel more than 275,000 Iraqi homes. The new 96 Megawatt generator is the second new generator to come on line at the north Baghdad plant since the reconstruction effort began at the site one year ago. The commissioning brings the total available electricity in the country to nearly 5,300 Megawatts, far exceeding the pre-war level of 4,400."
  


• This is how the American support made the difference for one power station:
  

  "As part of its efforts to bolster security and the economy in Northern Iraq, the 1st Infantry Division partnered with civilian companies and the Army Corp of Engineers to repair the Bayji Power Plant complex.

  "The facility, which is comprised of three power plants, once generated 1,300 megawatts of power. But after the first Gulf War, Iraqi officials were unable to get parts to maintain the plants because of sanctions levied against the country. The three plants were generating a little less than 400 megawatts of power prior the American-led invasion of Iraq last year.

  "Since then, coalition forces have worked diligently to repair the complex, which was one of the major power sources in the nation. In August, it was generating about 800 megawatts of power...

  "The plant employees 2,000 locals, 1,200 of which are permanent... As of August, the 1st Infantry Division had spent more than $1 million on parts for the plant.

  "Aside from repairs to the 500-acre complex, security was a major issue. Its fence had gaping holes that serve as a gateway for looters who frequently stole equipment and supplies from the power plant... To remedy that problem, the Big Red One spent $450,000 to build a 12-foot wall around the entire complex. That project created more than 700 jobs for locals, as six different contractors who submitted the lowest bids worked on the wall simultaneously...

  "The plant is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2005."

• Reconstruction of schools is also progressing around Iraq:
  

  "American officials say the U.S. Project and Contracting Office is completing renovations on about 200 schools, and it soon plans to begin work on 1,000 more. They also say the work is being done without swarms of subcontractors - who the Iraqi government claims have contributed to shoddy work in the past. And it’s all working with a minimum investment in security, thanks to low-profile operations. "So far, work has focused on the southern part of the country, but will soon move north. The entire project will cost $79 million, or about $35,000 to $65,000 per school. A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Iraq’s Ministry of Education and local headmasters decide what the schools need, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signs off on the quality of the completed work before contractors are paid. Iraqis are doing the on-site work so as not to attract attention, saving money on security costs."

• The Iraqi authorities are also looking at giving private sector a greater role in health system, in order to increase the number of providers and reduce the costs: "The interim government has set up a committee to draw up a plan to allow private entrepreneurs both local and foreign to invest in the health sector, according to a senior health ministry official. Health ministry's ombudsman, Hadi al-Riyahi, said the committee's task is to come up with suggestions and proposals on how to apply a much-criticized foreign investment law to boost private sector's contribution to boost heath services."
  


• The Ministry of Science and Technology will benefit from funds provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency for projects previously suspended due to the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq: "Dr. Rashad Mandan Omar, the Minister of Science and Technology said that the funds are to be invested for the rest of 2004 as well as for the next year 2005, clarifying that the ministry carrying out four projects in agricultural researches domain, get benefit of up-dated techniques in agriculture in addition to more projects to control the contamination."
  


• Repairing environment is also high on the agenda: "Ministry of Environment allocated 16.5 billion Iraqi dinars [$11.3 million] to revive marshes and to environment treatment in cooperation with United Nations' program of Environmental Evaluation and Ministry of Planning. The Minister of Environment Dr. Mishckat Mu'min announced that the Ministry is rehabilitating and training staffs for this project and that the Ministry has already carried out with working on this project by allocating money from the Ministry's budget before receiving international donation... The minister also said that the Ministry corresponded with International Bank about financial donation to participate in achieving pollution treatment project in Shat El-Arab."

HUMANITARIAN AID:

• American civilians, like this group of high school students from Minnesota, continue to help the people of Iraq: "Students at Hibbing High School are banding together to help out the children of Iraq. Members of Target/SADD are hosting the HHS Iraq Children’s Project - collecting school supplies and small stuffed toys for the children of Iraq... They have also placed collection cans around the school and community to raise funds for postage to send the boxes overseas. The idea was brought up by Joanna Koski, a senior whose aunt is a nurse stationed in Iraq and works with little children through an agency called 'Hearts and Minds.' There is a significant lack of educational materials available for students, Koski said... After hearing that, Target/SADD members decided to get involved. Kaleigh Lindholm, a senior, said the group initially thought of collecting just among themselves. Then they began to think school-wide. 'One little thing expanded,' Lindholm said. Koski said knowing about the situation of the children in Iraq has made her and others take things for granted less."
  


• In New England, North Dakota, school children are collecting toys for their Iraqi peers. "They've collected several hundred at this point, as well as some money to get them sent off. It costs about a dollar a bear." And toys donated by fifth-garders from Mitchell Elementary School at Albuquerque, New Mexico, will be delivered to Iraqi children via British Royal Air Force helicopter.
  


• A Maine resident, meanwhile, is helping Iraqi children through sports: "Alan Johnston, a soccer referee in central Maine, recently helped outfit a small band of Iraqi children with soccer balls, T-shirts and shorts after watching kids playing with rocks and metal cans." Johnson, who was employed in Iraq as private security contractor, saw during his travels around the country Iraqi children trying to play soccer in the most difficult of circumstances. He says: "They would play soccer in an open area of dirt and use rocks for goals or (use) pieces of pipe sticking up from the ground... The kids played in their bare feet and would kick anything they could find that would roll." The report continues:
  

  "The children struck a chord with Johnston, who played high school soccer in Greenville and is a high school, college and youth referee. His own children played soccer at Erskine Academy in South China. Johnston contacted Carol Woodcock, executive director of Soccer Maine, who sought out vendors to provide soccer balls, T-shirts and shorts. "Shipments began arriving last spring and were erratic because Johnston didn't stay in the same place for too long. But he finally had everything in hand last month, and he began doling out the equipment on Sept. 27. Under heavy guard, Johnston went to a dump where he had observed many of the local children scavenging for anything usable and distributed his treasure trove of 48 sets of shorts and T-shirts and 22 soccer balls. 'The kids were ecstatic and they came running from all over,' he said. 'It seemed like (they) were crawling out from under rocks. We had a hard time to control them and get them into a line so I could give (the equipment) out'."

• From the other side of the country, an Oregon man is helping Iraqi firefighters:
  

  "A Newport man who's the son of a California firefighter was appalled when he saw a news clip of an Iraqi firefighter going into a blaze wearing flip-flops and a T-shirt - when many American fire departments are blessed with a surplus of equipment. Thom Nelson decided to help. As he was bringing a new fishing boat up the coast from California to his home in Newport, he asked fire departments along the way to donate extra jackets, pants, gloves, helmets, hoses and other gear.

  " 'We have an abundance of surplus gear that's no longer up to our standards,' Nelson told the Daily Astorian newspaper. 'If some of this gear helps save some Iraqi's life, that Iraqi would have a better opinion of us, and view us more favorably.'

  "Nelson, who has collected more than four pallets so far, hopes to get enough equipment for 10 stations by next month. He said he will send it to Iraq with the help of the National Guard or the relief organization Doctors Without Borders."

• In Scotland, Hannan Shihab, a 16 year old Iraqi girl injured by an American bomb is getting face reconstruction surgery. "The teenager was injured in the same bombing attack which blew 12-year-old Ali Abbas’ arms off and left him orphaned. He was also flown to the UK for reconstructive treatment in a case which gained international attention. It is the second stage in Hannan’s treatment after spending some months in the US for initial surgery. St John’s [in Edinburgh] has been chosen to continue the work because of its international reputation in the field of burns and plastic surgery."
  


• Last but not least, America is repaying its debt to this young Iraqi hero:
  

  "He was a young street orphan in his native Baghdad before being 'adopted' by a U.S. military unit stationed there. Johnny, as officials are calling him, quickly rose to the status of 'American hero' after he warned troops of impending attacks and armed them with key surveillance.

  "Now, the United States is returning the favor with a life-saving mission of its own. Johnny, a target on insurgents' wanted posters in Iraq, was whisked Monday night to Omaha, where he will become part of the Girls and Boys Town family.

  The 16-year-old will live and study alongside other formerly neglected or abandoned kids and go down in Boys Town history as a rare wartime informant who found refuge on the famous campus founded by Father Flanagan nearly 90 years ago. 'I feel great,' Johnny said after arriving at Eppley Airfield, an American flag peeking out of his shirt pocket. 'Everything is OK'."

THE COALITION TROOPS:

• In addition to their efforts to provide security and stability to Iraq, the troops continue with reconstruction tasks:
  

  "When Army engineer Capt. Tony Hearn arrived in Iraq in March to survey the sanitation situation, he found large areas of Baghdad were literally 'a mess.'

  "Trash was everywhere. Empty lots had become default landfills. Garbage collectors were underpaid. Few trucks were operating because they lacked parts. 'On my first visit to one site, my boot got stuck in the carcass of an animal,' Hearn says.

  "Houston native Hearn, 30, is part of the 8th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, a unit responsible for renovating SWET - sewer, water, electricity and trash - in western Baghdad. The unit quickly set about funding $2.4 million in projects to improve trash collection."

• Read the whole report to learn how progress is being made on the sanitation front.
  


• The 1st Infantry Division, meanwhile, has recently hosted an Engineering Summit for 100 military and civilian specialists involved in the reconstruction effort. "This summit is important because it brings together all of the decision makers in one room so we can discuss things that have worked, things that haven’t worked so well, what needs to get fixed and how to fix them," says Maj. Kip A. Korth, the liaison officer for the 1st Infantry Division with the Gulf Region District North United States Army Corps of Engineers.
  


• The troops also continue with their good will missions: "Smiling children, shouting joyfully, filled a nearby school as Soldiers distributed stuffed animals, clothes, book bags and school supplies during a civil affairs mission in Al Anwar village Oct 9. Soldiers from the 4th Corps Materiel Management Center sponsored the $32,000 reconstruction of the village school this summer and returned to help the children start the school year with new school supplies donated by the American public." Since January this year, the 13th Corps Support Command-sponsored Civil Affairs has contributed $4.2 million to local infrastructure projects around Camp Anaconda, including reconstructing schools, building medical clinics, and constructing water treatment projects in neighboring villages.
  


• Elsewhere in Iraq, "Utah National Guard's 115th Engineer Group got to work, distributing pencils, paper and notebooks to the 350 students, and five boxes of classroom supplies for the teachers" at the Ao Mustafah elementary school in An Nasiriyah. "The poverty of the people is unimaginable," says Col. Edward Willis, the group's commander and outside the National Guard life, a science teacher at West Jordan High School. "The 80 Utah engineers are supervising the reconstruction of eight schools in the ancient Fertile Crescent of southern Iraq. Each school has 300 to 600 students." Charlie Company, Task Force 1-18 Infantry (the 1st Infantry Division) has also been delivering toys for Iraqi children.
  


• And here's the result of a private initiative by an American serviceman: "When Spc. Michael Tingue arrived in Bayji, Iraq with the 1st Infantry Division’s Task Force 1-7 in March, he saw the conditions that children in this war-torn country had to live in. More importantly, he saw that he had the opportunity to help. With a self-inspired determination, he began a personal campaign to gather clothes, toys and school supplies for the impoverished people of Iraq... As word spread, the project gained momentum on its own, and its inertia continues as boxes still continue to pile in. At its peak, Spc. Tingue was receiving approximately 20 boxes every other day for almost two weeks. The rate has now slowed to about five boxes a week, but they still continue to come in months after that first letter."
  


• In a similar operation, "[o]ne soldier in Iraq has proved that one simple e-mail calling out for help can make a big difference. Army Sgt. Addie Collins, who works for American Forces Network, sent a message asking her family not to send her care packages. Instead, she asked, send packages of used and new shoes for children in Iraq.
  



"That message has been forwarded not only throughout the United States but also to Okinawa, where staff members at the U.S. Naval Hospital rallied for the cause. The e-mail has netted Collins more than 10,000 pairs of shoes for the Kicks for Kids program, she said in a phone interview Tuesday. Almost 900 of those came from the hospital here."

• Effort continue to ensure that even the remote parts of the country receive medical supplies: "Soldiers from the 133rd Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Heavy) headquartered in Gardiner, Maine, handed out $6,000 worth of medical supplies to Sidakan Village in northern Iraq... The Sidakan Village is located near the Iranian border. This area is covered with land mines left over from the Iran-Iraq War. On average, one person a day in the area suffers injuries due to land mines. The materials needed to treat these trauma patients were part of the donated items. As part of the supplies, the clinic was given equipment needed to care for female patients during pregnancy and child birth. Before receiving the new equipment, doctors at the clinic had to listen to the heartbeat of an unborn child by placing an ear on the mother’s stomach. They now have stethoscopes thanks to the donations."
  


• American soldiers are also helping Iraqi amputees:
  

  "Sgt. Chris Cummings saw the young man standing on the side of a road in Baghdad. The teenager was balancing on one crutch. Most of his right leg was missing. 'Pull over,' Cummings said to his driver. "The Humvee stopped next to the young man. Cummings would later recall that the amputee, Ali, looked intimidated when he saw a U.S. military vehicle stop in front of him. Through a translator, Cummings was able to find out the boy's name and that he had lost his leg in a hit and run accident with a truck two years ago. The 15-year-old did not know yet that Cummings had something special to offer. 'He was our inaugural patient,' said Cummings."

• Cummings, a member of the 478th Civil Affairs Battalion, and in his civilian life a technician who manufactures and sets prosthetic limbs and braces for amputees, is now helping injured Iraqis to walk again. "When army officials found out about Cummings' civilian job, they knew he had to meet Mississippi National Guard Captain Steve Lindsley of the 112th Military Police Battalion. Lindsley is a prosthetist with the Mississippi Methodist Hospital and Rehabilitation Center. Lindsley had already conceived of an 'Operation Restoration' and the Army was looking for ways to help bring the project to fruition." And the news is good:
  

  "Since encountering Ali a month ago, Cummings has met nearly 50 patients in Baghdad. Most lost their limbs years ago, in accidents or in wartime. Some have injuries that date back to Iraq's bloody eight-year war with Iran in the 1980s. A few trace their wounds to the U.S. invasion last year and its aftermath. Amputees who come to Operation Restoration get the work done for free. The Army donated $44,000 to the project, and Lindsley's hospital donated medical supplies and equipment."

• The troops have also helped to save the life of this Iraqi girl: "An 8-year-old Iraqi girl is recovering from a poisonous snakebite thanks to timely help from U.S. military doctors stationed in Tallil. Doctors from the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, treated Nahida Radi, whose condition quickly deteriorated after the snakebite... The girl was bitten by a blunt-nosed viper while she was tending sheep on her family's farm, the doctors said. Her father, police officer Nafil Radi, said he could not get medical help until he was directed to military doctors at the nearby Tallil air base."
  


• Sometimes humanitarian aid takes different forms: "Although they usually patrol a southern portion of Baghdad's slum commonly called Sadr City searching for insurgent activity of the Muqtada militia, on Oct. 6 they did something entirely different: they handed out chickens. The Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, out of Ft. Riley, Kan., attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, passed out 300 frozen chickens to residents along a road in their sector that is one of the poorest parts of what is notoriously the poorest area in Baghdad."
  


• And as always, it's not just the Americans. Other Coalition troops are also contributing to the reconstruction effort in their sectors of the country:
  

  "In its first reconstruction project in Iraq, the South Korean troops that began operations here last month are working with cultural experts to restore one of the oldest castles in the world, troop officials said Friday.

  "The castle in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, which was built centuries ago and is now home to squatters, is being reconstructed by the South Korean troop unit, Zaitun (which means 'olive' in Arabic), officials said...

  "South Korean military officials said they will consult with Korean archeologists and members of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on the castle project."

Read the Diplomacy & Security section over at Chrenkoff....