New York Times 01/19/2008
By Michael Shank

To the Editor:

“Unfinished Debate on Iraq” (editorial, Jan. 13) cites the “serious inability of American civilian agencies” to meet Iraq’s post-conflict needs. That is putting it mildly.

The irony in the post-surge security successes is that while attacks may be down, Iraq remains utterly fragile.

Why? Because the basics are still missing. Electricity production meets only half of demand. A third of Iraqis have clean drinking water, and barely a quarter have effective sanitation.

Couple this with a failing health care system. Fifty percent of Iraq’s medical workers have fled in recent years. Ninety percent of hospitals lack basic medical supplies.

All this equates to burgeoning insecurity, not the trends toward victory President Bush talks about.

Not only is there an unfinished debate on Iraq, there is unfinished business in Iraq. It’s called electricity, water, sanitation and hospitals.

Michael Shank

Arlington, Va., Jan. 13, 2008

The writer is the government relations adviser at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University.