Report #19 - Questions And Some Answers

by Jerry Levin

Baghdad, Iraq

May 3, 2003

On April 27th fellow CPTer, Stewart Vriesinga, created the following questions concerning occupation actions and policy to a low level U.S. military spokesperson serving with the occupation in Baghdad, the only officer of any grade to whom CPT had thus far been given access. One day later he received replies, which, along with the questions, can be found-without comment-below.

Regarding the responsibilities of the U.S. interim government:

Is the interim government being set up by the United States planning to undertake the provision of essential services provided by the previous regime?

Answer: I don't have enough information to answer that.

If not, to whom should Iraqis look to provide and administer essential services? (Please provide names and locations of organizations.)

Answer: A combination of U.S. and coalition forces, NGOs, IOs (International Organizations), will provide essential services. Troops are assessing the needs, and the information is being passed up and down the chain of command.

How long must Iraqis be prepared to wait before the provision of essential services is resumed?

Answer: Some are being addressed immediately, others will take more time.

Regarding the Sadaam government's food distribution program: About seventy percent of the population of Iraq relies heavily on a food distribution program which was, up until last month (March), administered by the previous regime. (UNICEF has described this program as both the largest and most efficient food distribution program in the world.) This month's supplies were due to be distributed on April 12, but were not. Because people's reserve supplies are running low, and because of the spoiling of frozen foods due to long and on-going interruptions in electrical services, a food crisis is emerging. So:

Given that this food distribution was a governmental program, and an essential service on which the majority of Iraqis continue to rely, does the U.S. interim government accept responsibility for the resumption of this food distribution program?

Answer: I cannot answer that question.

In the face of an emerging food crisis, when can Iraqis expect the resumption of this food distribution program?

Answer: (The Question was passed over since the previous question was not answered.)

If there are no immediate plans to resume the food distribution program, where and to whom can Iraqis turn now to avoid increasing incidents of malnutrition and diarrhea? (Please provide names of agencies, locations, and hours of operation of current emergency food distribution centers.)

Answer: Iraqis can turn to the Civil Military Coordination Center (CMCC) to have their immediate food needs met.

Economic crisis: The interruption of electricity and telecommunications, the lack of security and public safety, the loss of salaries for both private and public sector employees, the looting and burning of banks, the freezing of investment capital held in overseas accounts, and the destruction of businesses have all contributed to an almost total stop of all economic activity. So, in the face of the resulting economic crisis:

Who will provide destitute and increasingly desperate Iraqi families with a subsistence income? When and where can they receive such an income?

Answer: I have no knowledge about that.

Who will pay the salaries of Iraqi civil servants, private sector employees, and provide income to small businessmen who cannot return to work and provide their families with the basic necessities of life?

Answer: We are accepting job applications. We accepted applications for two days last week, and will do so for three days this week. We can process about 450 applications/day. We have already hired many translators.

Now that the corrupt and repressive Sadaam regime has been ousted, can public and private sector employees expect to receive a greater share of their country's vast national wealth in return for their labor?

Answer: That's a tough question. I cannot tell you the answer to it.

When will Iraqi public money that is being held in trust and monies that have been frozen in overseas foreign bank accounts be made available as investment capital in Iraq?

Answer: I don't know. I have no knowledge of that. Maybe you could learn more about that at the CMCC meetings.

Who is now, and will be controlling Iraqi oil and allocating the profits from Iraqi oil until an Iraqi government is set up?

Answer: Currently the Ministry of Oil is doing that function. We have set up a task force that we're working with to get the ministry up and running. I don't know how profits will be allocated.

Medical: Public Health is in crisis because of shortages of material and human resources, security issues, shortages of medicines and supplies, damage to and looting of facilities, a high number of war-related injuries and illnesses, lack of salaries, access to potable water and inadequate diets. So:

As the interim government of Iraq, what steps has the U.S. taken to address this crisis?

Answer: Our Public Health Team is doing an assessment right now. The Organization for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) [The military's civil wing: ed.] together with the NGOs will provide what is needed.

When can Iraqis expect their health care system to return to pre-war levels of services?

Answer: It's hard to say. I can't provide you with an accurate date.

To whom can Iraqis address their healthcare needs and concerns?

Answer: They can go to the hospitals and health clinics that are open.

Education: All elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools remain closed. Some have been severely damaged, and others are currently occupied by U.S. military personal. So:

What steps have already been taken towards reopening the schools?

Answer: There is an on-going assessment of the condition of the schools and the availability of teachers. Some clean-up has already begun.

Can Iraqis expect classes in their schools and universities to resume in order to get credit this term? If not, when?

Answer: Whether or not schools reopen depends on the amount of damage to the schools, and whether or not the teachers can be found.

Who will pay the teachers' and professors' salaries?

Answer: I can't answer that question.

Will there be changes in the curriculum at Iraqi schools? Will it be Iraqis who determine the curriculum of Iraqi children?

Answer: It would have to be Iraqis who determine changes. I cannot predict the sort of changes that Iraqis might choose to make.

Freedom of speech and democracy: The vast majority of Iraqis agree that the previous regime was very undemocratic, and used very extreme measures to suppress freedom of speech. Iraqis are paying a very high price for regaining their freedom of speech and the overthrow of a brutal regime. Iraqis paid dearly in terms of high numbers of civilian casualties, the destruction of property, the loss of social and financial security, and in terms of the indefinite suspension of other basic human rights: the right to reasonable healthcare, education, food, shelter, work, income, etc. So:

Taking into account the above, what mechanisms have been put into place to ensure that Iraqis' newly acquired freedom of speech is accompanied by real democracy and real input into the present and on-going decision-making?--i.e. U.S. government decision-making?

Answer: We brought together Iraqis who, together with our people will work together to get the country up and running again, and will work to overcome short comings, and make improvements toward a more democratic society.

How does the current U.S. interim government identify and incorporate the emerging leadership of popular religious, social and political organizations?

Answer: I'm not sure what the process is. Check with ORHA.

Given that many Iraqis (and Arabs in general) have come to see Arabic secular governments as autocracies--their own previous government for example, or that of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Iran under the Shah--will the U.S. government be prepared to accept a religious theocracy in Iraq in the event that is whom the majority of Iraqis wish to elect to govern them?

Answer: I don't know.

For those Iraqis who need assurance that the current (U.S.) regime is more democratic and more willing to give a real voice to the Iraqi people than he previous regime, what examples would you cite?

Answer: I don't know.

Insofar as it is Iraqi national wealth and Iraqi oil revenues that will pay for the reconstruction of Iraq, can Iraqis safely assume that it will be Iraqis, and not someone else, who determines which firms get the lucrative reconstruction contracts?

Answer: I don't know. Check with ORHA.

What is the maximum length of time that Iraqis will have to wait before they are permitted self-determination and self-governance?

Answer: I don't know. Check with ORHA

With so many questions unanswered, Stuart Vriesinga updated the entire list and was able on Thursday May 1, to submit it to a Major who has been conducting the ORHA meetings. This mid level officer in the occupation's chain of command-to whom CPT now has access-promised replies by Thursday May 8th.