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WASHINGTON D.C. (January 14, 2008) - As security improves
throughout Iraq, coalition forces have made significant progress
rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure and economy, a U.S. military
spokesman there said yesterday.
Reconstruction always has been a focus of the coalition, but
recent improvements in security have given coalition forces even
more opportunities to repair facilities that have fallen into
disrepair or have been destroyed by terrorists, build new
facilities and other critical infrastructure, and assist Iraqis in
gaining self-sufficiency, Navy Rear Adm. Gregory J. Smith,
Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, told reporters in Iraq.
Smith cited several examples of reconstruction throughout Iraq,
including:
-- The renovation of the Ramana municipal government building in
Anbar province after it was destroyed by a suicide bomber in July
2007. Coalition forces partnered with local Iraqi contractors to
renovate the building so that the local government could return to
work.
-- The repair of a water treatment facility northwest of
Fallujah that now provides clean water for about 6,000 Iraqis.
-- The resurgence of a market in Yusifiyah that was essentially
deserted before Iraqi and coalition forces secured the area in
October. The marketplace was cleaned up, shops were repaired and
the market came back to life. Shoppers from outside Yusifiyah now
come to the market, new shops have opened, and the market gets 18
to 20 hours of electricity a day.
-- The construction of a bridge across the canal between Abu
Ghraib and the Sheha market, west of Taji. Tribal leaders, other
local leaders, and coalition forces combined resources to build
this bridge, which gives citizens access to the Sheha market.
-- The quick construction of a temporary bridge span over the
Grand Canal near Taji, where two critical bridges were destroyed by
a 2,000-pound car bomb in August.
Smith also highlighted grant programs that have benefitted local
Iraqi entrepreneurs, including a young man who opened a market near
his father's house and another who opened an automobile
air-conditioning repair shop.
Also on the economic front, the United States Agency for
International Development is providing microfinance loans to Iraqi
entrepreneurs, Denise Herbol, deputy director of USAID, said at the
news conference. USAID also is partnering with the coalition in
Anbar province to create locally owned microfinance operations that
are consistent with Islamic principles, she said.
"One of the things I'm most touched by during my time here is
our work with ambitious Iraqi entrepreneurs, stationed throughout
the country, who recognize the potential for growth in their
individual communities," Herbol said. "These individuals have taken
advantage of the opportunity that our programs can provide to
improve the lives of their families and others in the
community."
The program in Anbar has generated nearly $530,000 in loans to
entrepreneurs, with 139 loans totaling $334,000 distributed in Al
Qaim, 18 loans totaling nearly $47,000 in Ramadi, and 72 loans
totaling $148,000 in Fallujah, Herbol said.
A notable achievement in Fallujah was the Dec. 12 opening of the
Fallujah Business Center, which houses the Fallujah Chamber of
Commerce and new public radio station, as well as USAID's partners,
including the microfinance program, Herbol said. She said the
business center "is becoming the focal point for the city's
business community and civil society members to come together to
work, exchange ideas and advance the economic growth which
continues to advance in Fallujah."
Herbol cited several examples of Iraqi businesses created
through the microfinance program, such as a bus driving service for
schoolchildren in Fallujah, a juice factory in Baghdad that has
created 24 full-time jobs for Iraqis, and a woman who grew a
home-based business into a mini market that sells clothing and
baked goods.
"I feel privileged to work alongside the dedicated, intelligent
and brave Iraqis, Americans and members of the global community in
the pursuit of a peaceful and democratic future for Iraq," Herbol
said. "That future is here today, and it is our hope that USAID's
development and assistance programs will continue to assist in
building the foundation vital to Iraq's stability and long-term
prosperity and growth."
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