[NYTr] Corruption Rampant in Iraq: Karbala Residents Enraged at Elec. Theft

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Institute for War and Peace Reporting ICR No. 235, Oct 25, 2007
http://www.iwpr.net/EN-icr-f-340103

Scams Enrage Karbala Residents

Politicians and militia accused of stealing electricity supplies.

By an IWPR reporter in Karbala

Officials and local militia groups in the southern province of Karbala
are siphoning off the province's dwindling power supply, leaving
residents to rely on private generators, say local people.

"There are some terrorists who set off bombs, and there some are
terrorists who steal, like those officials [who keep electricity for
themselves]," said Ali Jafar, a 55-year-old resident of the Shia city's
al-Malimeen neighbourhood.

The Iraqi government estimates it is only supplying about half the
electricity to service the needs of the public and businesses across the
country, which are demanding more power than ever before.

In Karbala, the power runs for about two hours for every four hours of
blackouts.

Karbala governor Aqil Mamoud al-Khazali told IWPR that the province
receives about one-third of the power it actually needs.

Khazali estimated that Karbala province requires 250 megawatts per day,
but receives no more than 70 megawatts for its 500,000 population,
which has been swollen by an influx of people displaced by violence in
other parts of the country.

Khazali said the authorities were "embarrassed before our own people"
for not being able to provide locals with more electricity, but
insisted that public services had to take priority.

"Hospitals, police stations, sewage plants, pumping stations and water
plants. must have access to continuous electricity in order to operate
properly," he said.

In early August, the AP news agency reported that a power station in
Karbala was shut down because there was no fuel to run it. The outage
left the provincial capital without mains water and power for days.

Such outages have angered Karbala's residents, forcing many to rely on
private generators. They claim that while they have to provide for
themselves, political parties, officials and even militia groups are
receiving so-called emergency lines that ensure they have
round-the-clock electricity.

"My neighbour, who was a member of parliament, has always had an
emergency line," said Mohammed Ali al-Karbaley, a civil servant. "I
don't have an [alternative] power source. We wait for hours for the
power to come on."

Shia militias affiliated with various political factions remain
powerful in Karbala, one of the holy cities of this branch of Islam.

An employee at Karbala's electricity department, who spoke on condition
of anonymity, said militias acquire illegal lines through their
connections, but the department turns a blind eye to it for fear of the
consequences of trying to stop the racket.

Last summer, the government in Baghdad ordered the Karbala authorities
to shut down these emergency lines, said Iraqi electricity minister
Kareem Waheed. He insisted there was no evidence that the practice was
continuing, "I challenge anyone to come up with any information about
such abuses."

But Khazali admitted electricity distribution was being abused and that
supplies were being stolen in the province. He said provincial
officials had begun identifying and cutting emergency lines. In one
week, 650 had been shut down, he said.

Khazali said many of the problems stemmed from corrupt managers and
staff within the electricity department. He refused to identify any
suspects but said an official probe had been launched.

Meanwhile, Karbala residents may soon get some relief from the daily
outages. Iran has agreed to provide southern Iraq with cheap
electricity and has offered to build a large power plant between
Karbala and Najaf.

The move has, however, unnerved American officials who are concerned
about Tehran's support for Shia militant groups in the country.