Iraqis seek to ease clean water shortages
Iraqis seek to ease clean water shortages
Published: August 10, 2008
BAGHDAD — The tanks were full of enough clean drinking water for some 200,000 Iraqis at a new distribution station in eastern Baghdad, but local officials struggled Saturday to agree on where it should go.
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Children swim in the polluted Tigris River in central Baghdad on July 31. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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U.S. troop deaths in Iraq, Afghanistan
These American service personnel died in Iraq or Afghanistan:
•Army Sgt. Errol M. James, 29, of St. Croix, Virgin Islands; died Monday at Forward Operating Base Torkham, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident.
•Marine Capt. Garrett T. Lawton, 31, of Charleston, W.Va.; died Monday during combat in Herat province, Afghanistan.
•Army Pvt. Timothy J. Hutton, 21, of Dillon, Mont.; died Monday in Baghdad of injuries from a non-combat incident.
•Two Army soldiers died Monday when their patrol was struck by an explosive in Baghdad. Killed were Sgt. Gary M. Henry, 34, of Indianapolis, and Spc. Jonathan D. Menke, 22, of Madison, Ind.
•Army Spc. Ronald A. Schmidt, 18, of Newton, Kan.; died Aug. 3 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries from a vehicle accident in Ashraf.
•Army Sgt. Jaime Gonzalez Jr., 40, of Austin, Texas; died Aug. 3 in Kabul, Afghanistan, after his vehicle struck an explosive.
•Army Sgt. Brian K. Miller, 37, of Pendleton, Ind.; died Aug. 2 in Abd Allah, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident.
•Army Spc. Kevin R. Dickson, 21, of Steelville, Mo.; died Aug. 2 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident.
•Army Pfc. Jennifer L. Cole, 34, of American Canyon, Calif.; died Aug. 2 in Beiji, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident.
•Army Sgt. Ryan P. Baumann, 24, of Great Mills, Md.; died Aug. 1 on Route Alaska, Afghanistan, when his vehicle hit an explosive.
•Four Army soldiers died Aug. 1 in Chowkay Valley, Afghanistan, when their vehicle struck an explosive. Killed were Pfc. David John Badie, 23, of Rockford, Ill.; 2nd Lt. Michael R. Girdano, 23, of Pennsylvania; Spc. William J. Mulvihill, 20, of Leavenworth, Kan.; and Army Pvt. Jair De Jesus Garcia, 29, of Chatsworth, Calif.
•Army Spc. Andre D. Mitchell, 25, of Elmont, N.Y.; died July 31 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries from a vehicle accident.
Also in the news ...
•GEORGIAN TROOPS: Georgia will remove all of its 2,000 soldiers from Iraq as soon as transport can be arranged, it said Saturday.
•WEATHER: Basra, Iraq: High of 116, low of 94, clear; Kabul, Afghanistan: 91, 66, clear; Kuwait: 116, 89, clear.
The Associated Press
Distribution plan urged
Iraqis have been able to use the taps at the facility, which has a storage capacity of about 52,800 gallons. But the local municipal council hasn't decided how many trucks can be used and where they should deliver the water.
"The challenge has been to come up with a distribution plan,” said Maj. Gary Giles, a civil affairs officer with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, which is spearheading the project.
But Giles, 50, was optimistic the issue would be resolved so the trucks can start delivering water by the end of the week.
Mudhafer Ali, the official in charge of the Baghdad water pipes network, said the water would be distributed by trucks carrying nearly 4,000 gallons each and there was a plan to eventually expand the project to provide irrigation water.
Recognizing the urgency, the Iraqi government has invested or plans to invest more than $200 million, in addition to $50 million in U.S. military emergency funds. More than 100 projects are in the works.
Related Topics:
Politics, U.S. Armed Forces Activities, Armed Forces, World Politics, U.S. Army Activities, Iraqi Politics


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