Blackouts in Baghdad have nothing to do with security.
The decade-plus embargo followed by the 7-year-long
war have severely damaged Iraq's ability to function
as a developed country. Before the 90-91 Gulf War,
Iraq had the highest standard of living among Arab
countries.
As things stand now in Baghdad, it appears residents
of the city have two hours of electricity every six hours.
So, it is not a given at all. Plus, neighborhoods string
their own power lines tapping into the grid, which must
be a logistical nightmare. It will be a long time before
the country emerges from being a war zone.
http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/...-power-vacuum/
p.s. -- even the Green Zone is affected by blackouts. Many
run generators for electricity. I imagine all kinds of services
are affected, including phones.
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