$10bn Needed to Rebuild Ramadi

By John Lee.

Anbar officials estimate that the reconstruction of Ramadi, recently liberated from the Islamic State group (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh), will cost $10 billion (12 trillion Iraqi dinars), as the government says that about 80 percent of the city has been destroyed.

According to the report from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Iraqi politicians are looking to Ramadi to become a flagship example of the Iraqi government’s ability to rebuild.

“We all know that stability in Anbar means stability in Iraq,” said Eid Ammash, a spokesman for Anbar’s provincial council. “Anbar is the face of Iraq.”

“Don’t forget that Daesh’s policy was to destroy everything before abandoning any area,” said Anbar Governor Sohaib al-Rawi. “They destroy bridges, hospitals, and even water projects only for sabotaging the place. Nothing else.”

(Source: WSJ)