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http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/20061127.pdf

This link goes to a website -scroll down to page 7 - which itemizes the many projects completed (more that 2600) and underway (more than 600) in Iraq. Its map should complement Dio's map of Iran, because it shows Lots of little green dots signifying "DOD projects" all along the Iraq-Iran border plus some along the Syria and Jordan borders. Since it is .pdf format, I do not know how to reproduce the map here, but I hope someone will do it.

Great source, thanks for the link.

On the down side, look at the table that lists Infrastructure status. It says that the electricity in all of Iraq is only on for 10-12 hours a day on average. In Baghdad it's only on for greater than 7 hours a day on average.

Iraq is producing 2.2 MBPD of oil currently with a capacity of 2.5 MBPD. Their goal is to get to 3 MBPD. That compares with with 2.5 MBPD of prewar oil production.

Neither of these sound good. The average temperature in July and August is greater than 120F. I'm pretty sure I'd be cranky if the AC only ran half the day in 120F heat. And only matching prewar oil production levels this long after the invasion is not a good sign.

No matter the reason neither of these important figures make it sound like we're winning the war. I think Gates is right to admit we're losing the war. We'll never find a winning strategy in Iraq if all we're going to do is defend the current policy.

Before the Liberation, Sunni Baghdad had lots of electricity. The rest of the country had perhaps an hour a day. The total kilowatt hours produced now is the highest in Iraq's history, and people with jobs have money to buy more items that come plugs and electric cords.

Remember how the cry of the Left before 2003 was all about thousands of Iraqi children dieing monthly as a result of UN sanctions. That mantra seems to have been completely erased from the memory of those who have to make everything Bush's fault.

Are you sure that production used to be as high as you claim, or is that more propaganda from the leftist press?