New Report Warns of Rising Anti-American Feelings in Iraq
VOA News
18 Jul 2003, 13:50 UTC
A new report commissioned by the Pentagon says U.S. officials must bring order to Iraq quickly or risk losing all support from the Iraqi people. The team of five outside experts was led by former U.S. deputy defense secretary John Hamre. The group warns of rising anti-American feeling in Iraq, and says the next three months are crucial for the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority to re-establish security and basic services.
In their report, released late Thursday, the team says the U.S.-led authority has made progress but lacks the resources to completely rebuild the country. The experts say the Iraqi rebuilding effort should be "supercharged" by immediately injecting more money and personnel. They also suggest U.S. officials start a public works program to give Iraqis jobs. And they say the United States would be wise to seek partners beyond the small coalition of countries involved in the war to topple Saddam Hussein.
The team spent 10 days in Iraq starting June 27 at the invitation of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the top U.S. administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer.
A Pentagon spokesman says defense officials are studying the report to see how they might implement its findings, "as appropriate."
Meanwhile, the U.S. military says another U.S. soldier was killed Friday in Falluja when a bomb exploded under his vehicle. The news came as the U.S. military said it has completed the latest operation to neutralize Iraqi insurgents who have been attacking U.S. forces. A military statement says coalition forces detained more than 600 people during the raids, including 62 leaders of the ousted Saddam regime.
Thursday, an Arab television channel played an audiotape purportedly made by Saddam Hussein, urging Iraqis to fight the U.S.-led occupation. But Thursday was the first day in a long time there were no reported attacks on U.S. soldiers throughout Iraq. U.S. forces had been on heightened alert because the day marked the 35th anniversary of the Baath Party's seizure of power.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
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