Iraqi authorities have deployed 6,000 “electricity police” to guard the distribution network. A senior coalition official said attacks on the oil and electricity distribution systems are becoming “more spectacular and aggressive”. The official said: “It seems now there is real focus on the infrastructure, to wreak havoc, to turn the Iraqis against the interim government.”
In Baghdad, anger is boiling over as the city of five million approaches summer – a time when temperatures are expected to rise to near 50 Celsius. On Friday, it was 41 Celsius.
Before the war, Baghdad residents enjoyed about 20 hours of electricity a day. Now they're lucky to get eight, usually broken into two-hour runs or less.
The coalition electricity spokesman said Iraq needs at least 7,000MW of electricity and engineers hope to get 6,000MW online by midsummer.
For most Iraqis the occupation authorities are to blame.
“Even when the Americans were bombing us, the lights didn't go out,” said Hikmat Abdul-Wahid, standing outside his darkened house.
