By REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press
FALLUJAH, Iraq – Imad Talib al-Obeidi ticks off 18 places he had to visit to start his bottled water plant: the police, the environment directorate, the health directorate, the city council and the district council, for starters.
He’s one of the relatively few Iraqi businessmen stubborn enough to play by the rules.
“Iraq is the country of bribes,” al-Obeidi said. “Our main problem is the hostile attitude by government employees in the offices because they show no cooperation, and if you do not pay bribes they will put obstacles in your way.”
The U.S.-led invasion eight years ago provided an opportunity to liberate Iraqis not only from Saddam Hussein’s oppression, but also from a command-and-control economy dependent on oil revenues. But when the last U.S. troops withdraw from Iraq by the end of the year, they will leave behind a nation in which widespread corruption, bureaucratic hurdles and electricity shortages continue to stifle the economy.