Among key recommendations of the commission, which was led by John Hamre, president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, were the establishment of public safety everywhere in the country and an expansion of Iraqi ownership of the rebuilding process.

People need to be put back to work, said the report, and funding needs to be more forthcoming and more flexible.

The US appears to have clearly underestimated how mammoth the task of rebuilding Iraq would be. In part, this may be due to an underestimation of the effect of years of economic sanctions on such basic services as power and water.[underlining mine]

A number of US officials, among them former administrator Gen. Jay Garner, have testified to their surprise at the run-down infrastructure. "Seems to me we should have known that [beforehand]," says Mr. Pfaltzgraff of the Fletcher School.

Yeah. No kidding. And who's going to underwrite this? Us, with our tax cut?

Now, after having called the UN and nations who have been our allies all kinds of names and indulging in petty revenges, we will ask them for money and personnel. All those who like our odds of getting either or both in any meaningful quantities, please raise your hands.

I didn't think so.

Regards--
Mary Anne