The Slow Pace of Iraqi Reconstruction

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As violence in Iraq continues to claim lives, in Fallujah, Condoleezza Rice's top deputy told Iraqi leaders that reconstruction is up to them. That advice follows a report in the Los Angeles Times that 59 water, sewage and electrical plants rebuilt with hundreds of millions of US tax dollars have been allowed to deteriorate. Drinking water is polluted, streets are covered with sewage and blackouts are common. US officials say that Iraqis either don't know how to maintain expensive equipment or don't care. Iraqis blame the insurgency, American contractors and a shortage of money. As the US talks of cutting its troop strength, is Iraq prepared to go it alone? We get several perspectives from Iraqi statesmen, military affairs analyst, historian and the author of the Times' article. Making News: World Rush to Destroy Vials of Flu Strain The Centers for Disease Control claim there's "no public health threat," but there's a worldwide effort to destroy samples of a potentially deadly flu virus distributed to laboratories by mistake. More than 3700 samples went from a company in Cincinnati to 18 countries, but most of the recipients were in the United States. From Geneva, Maria Chang speaks for the World Health Organization on Communicable Diseases. Reporter's Notebook: Tracing Human Migration with DNA There is scientific evidence that all of humanity came out of Africa, but nobody's sure how our ancestors got to other parts of the planet. The National Geographic Society, with help from IBM, hopes to solve the mystery. Researchers at 10 local centers will analyze the DNA of 100,000 blood samples from indigenous populations around the world, and trace the migration routes first established some 50,000 years ago. Population geneticist Spencer Wells is leading the Genographic Program.
As violence in Iraq continues to claim lives, in Fallujah, Condoleezza Rice's top deputy told Iraqi leaders that reconstruction is up to them. That advice follows a report in the Los Angeles Times that 59 water, sewage and electrical plants rebuilt with hundreds of millions of US tax dollars have been allowed to deteriorate. Drinking water is polluted, streets are covered with sewage and blackouts are common. US officials say that Iraqis either don't know how to maintain expensive equipment or don't care. Iraqis blame the insurgency, American contractors and a shortage of money. As the US talks of cutting its troop strength, is Iraq prepared to go it alone? We get several perspectives from Iraqi statesmen, military affairs analyst, historian and the author of the Times' article.
  • Making News: World Rush to Destroy Vials of Flu Strain
    The Centers for Disease Control claim there's "no public health threat," but there's a worldwide effort to destroy samples of a potentially deadly flu virus distributed to laboratories by mistake. More than 3700 samples went from a company in Cincinnati to 18 countries, but most of the recipients were in the United States. From Geneva, Maria Chang speaks for the World Health Organization on Communicable Diseases.
  • Reporter's Notebook: Tracing Human Migration with DNA
    There is scientific evidence that all of humanity came out of Africa, but nobody's sure how our ancestors got to other parts of the planet. The National Geographic Society, with help from IBM, hopes to solve the mystery. Researchers at 10 local centers will analyze the DNA of 100,000 blood samples from indigenous populations around the world, and trace the migration routes first established some 50,000 years ago. Population geneticist Spencer Wells is leading the Genographic Program.

College of American Pathologists on H2N2

WHO statement on distribution of H2N2 Influenza Virus for lab testing

Miller's article on waste in Iraqi utilities

Genographic Project

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney