Mosul awaiting promised funds

Mosul awaiting promised funds
By James Warden, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, May 29, 2008

Official said city would get $100 million for jobs, social programs

Mosul is still awaiting millions of dollars that Iraqi government officials pledged to Iraq’s second biggest city as part of an initiative to aid three of the country’s problem areas, according to a U.S. economics adviser for Ninevah province.

Samir Sumaida’ie, Iraqi ambassador to the United States, told The Washington Times in April that the Iraqi government would give $100 million to Mosul, $100 million to Basra and $150 million to the Shula and Sadr City neighborhoods in Baghdad. The emergency funding aims to generate jobs and build up social programs to help stave off the insurgency.

"It’s very important to get people working and to wean them away from violence," he said. "This is consistent with government policy of linking economic development with improvement in security."

Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, spokesman for Multi-National Forces-Iraq, said in a news conference earlier this month that the $350 million would cover "the immediate needs of residents and provide essential services for areas formerly subjected to criminal activity, intimidation and neglect."


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