Iraq - Like the 6 Million Dollar Man - We can rebuild it - we can make it better than
 

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science...eut/index.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The United States is studying ways to restore perhaps a quarter of the marshes of southern Iraq, drained by Saddam Hussein to crush the local Shi'ite population, according to a senior official.

Andrew Natsios, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, told Reuters that research showed "we could probably restore maybe 25 percent of the marshlands with the existing water flows."

"...We are looking at what is hydrologically feasible given the current technology and water flows," Natsios said.

The Iraqi marshes between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were home to a unique culture and complex ecosystem that lasted thousands of years. The wetlands were largely drained by Saddam to punish the population for supporting a Shi'ite uprising against his rule that erupted after the 1991 Gulf War.

Nearly 300,000 Marsh Arabs, also known as Ma'adan, were bombed, rounded up by troops, killed or forced to march out of the wetlands. Many others disappeared while the marshes that sustained them turned into a salt-encrusted wasteland. Now, fewer than 20,000 remain.

Human rights groups have called the assault on the marshes and its people genocide, and said it could be among the charges if Saddam is ever prosecuted for war crimes.



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It would be great if there was a way to undo some of what Saddam did inareas like this - For those of you who mix religion with geography this is believed to be the original Garden of Eden.

Looks like they've landed themselves a nice little contract there.

Yes, I bet the U.S. Agency for International Development expects to reap fat profits from restoring marshlands. :rolleyes: Save that argument for oil fields, at least it makes a tiny bit of sense there.

:confused: Maybe you just aren't familiar with the acronyms--in this case, we're talking about USAID. Heard of that organization? In case you haven't, here's a google search for you usaid contract. Now you can look up all the contracts USAID is involved with and keep your sarcasm where it belongs.

Just a follow up to the above point:

Fact Sheet: Contracting by USAID_ For Reconstruction of Iraq_