Electric News
How much electricity is available these days in Baghdad? How about Najaf, or Samarra, or Basra?
It's clear that security matters a lot, but it's also clear that the disappearance of electricity played a very significant rôle in turning many Iraqis against the Occupation. Unlike security questions, moreover, electricity is easy to measure. Is the power on? Does it stay on? Do the elevators and the street lights and the refrigerators function properly? Or not?
I read a lot of news about Iraq every day, including at least one dedicated weblog, and I really have no idea what the power situation is right now, or what (if anything) is being done or planned.
Update: Brookings publishes a Iraq Indicators Index, updated every Monday and Thursday, which includes electricity statistics. Thanks, Mark Paul.