BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq's capital wants the United States to apologize and pay $1 billion for the damage done to the city not by bombs but by blast walls and Humvees since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
The city's government issued its demands in a statement on Wednesday that said Baghdad's infrastructure and aesthetics have been seriously damaged by the American military.
"The U.S. forces changed this beautiful city to a camp in an ugly and destructive way, which reflected deliberate ignorance and carelessness about the simplest forms of public taste," the statement said.
"Due to the huge damage, leading to a loss the Baghdad municipality cannot afford...we demand the American side apologize to Baghdad's people and pay back these expenses."
The statement made no mention of damage caused by bombing.
Baghdad's neighborhoods have been sealed off by miles of concrete blast walls, transforming the city into a tangled maze that contributes to massive traffic jams. Despite a sharp reduction in overall violence in recent years only 5 percent of the walls have been removed, officials said.
The heavy blast walls have damaged sewer and water systems, pavement and parks, said Hakeem Abdul Zahra, the city spokesman.
U.S. military Humvees, driven on street medians and through gardens, have also caused major damage, he said.
"The city of Baghdad feels these violations, which have taken place for years, have caused economic and moral damage," he said.
Afghanistan will be next, just wait and see. Ungrateful bastards.
Destruction goes hand in hand with WAR!
How ignorant can people be??
But did they ask for the WAR! ?
But did they ask for the WAR! ?
This is a key issue they should have considered BEFORE starting anything. . . BEFORE continuing what we started . . . and BEFORE actually paying billions to HELP build, feed, and reorganize - only to not quite finish the job.
I think they have an adequate complaint.
And this should serve as a CAUTION - no a WARNING to future presidents that they need to take into consideration ALL possible future outcomes of any effort - especially if we're going to 'be the good guys helping everyone out and improving everyone's lives.'
People will really want us to do *exactly that*
The job is finished. It's up to Iraqi's now.
No they don't. If they want their neighborhoods secured and cleaned up they need to do something about it themselves.
Iraqi's need to restore their country with their own hands. We've put in enough time, money and people already.
"The U.S. forces changed this beautiful city to a camp in an ugly and destructive way"
This quote is from the OP. I don't know where this guy was living before OIF, but Baghdad had not been a "beautiful city" for some years. Like most of Iraq, it was festering crap hole.
A warning? What warning?
That if the US successfully liberates a nation they will turn into liberals and want everything done for them?
Baghdad wants U.S. to pay $1 billion for damage to city
I think that 1 billion is not enough to rebuild or comensate what the barbarian invasion of western countires led by usa that killed thausands of innocent iraqi people and that caused hundreds of abnormal births in south of Iraq till now and that destroyed infrastructure in all Iraq cities , ....what compensate Iraq ? non even thausands of billions of us $ !!!!
if we are human and know justice
dear baghdad....kiss our AMERICAN asses...sincerely, uncle sam......I have no words for this. I just have one finger to show them.
Baghdad wants U.S. to pay $1 billion for damage to city - Yahoo! News
I have no words for this. I just have one finger to show them.
Baghdad wants U.S. to pay $1 billion for damage to city - Yahoo! News
dear baghdad....kiss our AMERICAN asses...sincerely, uncle sam......
I have no words for this. I just have one finger to show them.
Baghdad wants U.S. to pay $1 billion for damage to city - Yahoo! News
i find it perfectly justified. The us of a entered the country against everyones will, blew the place to smithereens, now iraq wants a little compensation? Seriously what is $1 billion out of the trillions your country makes?
We don't have any more money. We are broke.
I have no words for this. I just have one finger to show them.
Baghdad wants U.S. to pay $1 billion for damage to city - Yahoo! News
We don't have any more money. We are broke.
Your mindset is what goes into creating this type of problem.
The whole "we're awesome, we can save them, we can get them started, they need to finish"
Why did anyone - ANYONE - every for a moment think that they *would* do this for theirselves? It is not their culture of beliefs to finish what others started. We can't even rebuild our own cities when they're destroyed by ourselves - why should be actually expect another country who *NEVER* did that - ever - to do it now, all of a sudden?
We might have helped change their power structure - but we did not change their culture. . . I think this is a "no-****, what did you think would happen" situation.
Time and time again while we *were* there people continually brought up that this might be the future of things - and here it is.
If our government didn't want this reaction they should have stopped and thought "gee, hmm" - Bush might not have been thinking but Congress had some sway over the matter.
I think that 1 billion is not enough to rebuild or comensate what the barbarian invasion of western countires led by usa that killed thausands of innocent iraqi people and that caused hundreds of abnormal births in south of Iraq till now and that destroyed infrastructure in all Iraq cities , ....what compensate Iraq ? non even thausands of billions of us $ !!!!
if we are human and know justice
You have a billion dollars lets not get silly now...
Yes of course. The very idea of the US liberating other nations in the world is just a mindset that creates problems. Never mind the millions of people around the world who are actually thankful. The “problems” we have with free and peaceful nations are preferable to the alternative.
Iraqi’s need to stand up for their country or they will lose it to jihadi’s. Tens of thousands already have stood up and continue to do so. They understand what they’re fighting for. Thousands have been killed fighting jihadis as you know.
Iraqi’s have lived in relative peace and prosperity in the past. There is no reason to believe they can’t do it again. I believe they can.
For a good example Iraqi’s can look to South Korea or former West Germany after WWII.
We didn’t try to change their culture and Iraqi’s are running their country.
I always thought that the US would topple the regime and that the Iraqi people would build a free and peaceful nation on the ashes of Saddam and his sons.
What reaction? That there are Iraqi’s trying to bilk the US out of money to pay for their neighborhood to be cleaned up?
It wouldn’t surprise me if this was a political stunt by Iraqi politicians for votes in upcoming elections. Kinda like the Dems here in the US saying that all was lost in Iraq before the ’06 midterms.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?