Bush's grand new Iraq

The fog of White House spin continues to dissipate. First, Oxfam and Iraqi NGOs reported that nearly a third of Iraq's population needs emergency aid. Then this morning the BBC reports on what it has learned from Stuart Bowen, Congress's chief auditor of the $44 billion paid out for Iraq's reconstruction. In sum:

* Bowen says economic mismanagement and corruption in Iraq is equivalent to "a second insurgency." One example: the Doura power station, rebuilt with tens of millions of US dollars, fell into disrepair once it was transferred to Iraqi control.

* The Iraqi parliament has adjourned until September 4, despite US calls for it to remain in session and pass already-delayed legislation.

* The Oxfam-NGO survey recognizes that armed conflict is the greatest problem facing Iraqis, but finds a population "increasingly threatened by disease and malnutrition." Their report "suggests that 70% of Iraq's 26.5m population are without adequate water supplies, compared to 50% prior to the invasion. Only 20% have access to effective sanitation. Nearly 30% of children are malnourished, a sharp increase on the situation four years ago. Some 15% of Iraqis regularly cannot afford to eat. The report also said 92% of Iraq's children suffered from learning problems."