Record price for Oil and the DOW dropped about 350 points but the good news is we are rebuilding Iraq for free. Since April the military has been a little slow it
seems because they have only paid out about 180,000 thousand to these poor people, who will always hate us.
Good news is that the officials also want Iraqis to begin demanding increased accountability from their own authorities and they have shown a little interest
in doing this, of course they have not starting doing anything yet. I mean why should they, when we are paying for everything.
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Even as fighting continues to rage in the radical Shiite hotbed of Baghdad’s worst slum, the U.S. State Department and the U.S. military have worked to keep open the doors to the Iraqi Assistance Center, which gives locals financial assistance and help getting back on their feet.
The U.S. military has doled out more than $180,000 in compensation since April to Sadr City residents who can prove their home and property were damaged in the crossfire between U.S. and Iraqi troops and the Shiite militia that controls the area.
To receive funds locals must demonstrate legal ownership of the damaged property and prove personal injury, if applicable. They also must provide dates of when the purported destruction occurred.
“We do a lot of research,” said Sgt. Brendan Piper, head of the IAC. “They give us a claim on this date, at that time, and we do research on significant actions to determine whether on that date there was a firefight which could have caused the damage.”
“When someone came in and claimed $100,000 for their shop, we were thinking, ‘No way,’” said Army Sgt. Brendan Piper, a civil affairs specialist. “But once again, the Iraqi lawyer came into play. The amount of inventory they actually have in these small shops is amazing, the way they stack and pile their goods,” Piper said.
While working with U.S. forces remains risky to Iraqis, especially in areas like Sadr City where collaborators are still being attacked, Abdilrada enjoys his role.
“I like working with coalition forces,” he told FOXNews. “[M]y job requires helping people. I’m honored to be a part of compensating people for the damage caused by U.S. forces. This gives me joy to bring a smile to my people.”
Abdilrada added, “If I do not make sacrifices, and others don’t make sacrifices, who will stay in this country and stand up for this country?”
The entire claims process is complex, as many streets have endured multiple strikes from all three parties involved — U.S. forces, Shiite militia and the Iraqi Army. Still, the U.S. military has maintained a generous viewpoint regarding claims, ultimately deciding that they’d pay even if they were just one of several sources of the damage.
“There are innocent people caught in the crossfire,” Piper said. “It’s important for those people to get compensated. A lot of the damage is happening because we are here.”
IAC officials also want Iraqis to begin demanding increased accountability from their own authorities. The Iraqi Army has signaled interest in establishing a similiar office to compensate citizens from damage caused by Iraqi forces, but so far, no such entity has been created.
