Overview: In the 1970s, a sustained campaign for economic development provided Iraq with elements of a high-grade ground transportation infrastructure. Further development of roads and railroads in eastern Iraq supported the war effort against Iran (1980–88). However, damage in the Persian Gulf War of 1991 was only superficially repaired, and the insurgent sabotage that began in 2003 brought another round of damage. Most of that damage is to be repaired by U.S. contractors and international aid organizations. The speed of such repair will depend largely on security conditions. In 2004 the United States allotted US$500 million in aid for transportation upgrades, compared with an appropriation of US$85 million in Iraq’s 2004 budget.
Roads: In 2004 Iraq had about 39,000 kilometers of paved roads, many of which were broad highways constructed for military and commercial use in the 1970s and 1980s. Most road and bridge damage was repaired after the 1991 Persian Gulf War had targeted transportation infrastructure. However, beginning in 2003 main roads in central and northern Iraq, such as the connector between Baghdad and the Jordanian border, sustained repeated damage by saboteurs. Bridges damaged in 2003 by coalition forces were the focus of a major repair operation in 2004.
Railroads: In 2004 Iraq had an estimated 1,963 kilometers of standard-gauge railroad track, connecting Baghdad with other Iraqi cities and foreign borders in several directions. Most of the railroad infrastructure was in poor repair. Operations on the Baghdad-Mosul and Baghdad-Umm Qasr lines was restored following the government change of 2003, although service has been unreliable. In 2005 plans called for new rail links with Syria and Iran.
Ports: Iraq has three oil tanker terminals in the Persian Gulf: Basra (the main oil port) and offshore terminals at Khawr al Amayah and Khawr az Zubayr (mainly for dry goods and natural gas). In October 2004, Basra’s capacity was 2 million barrels of oil per day, and the planned capacity of Khawr al Amayah is 1.2 million barrels per day. Umm Qasr, which has received major renovation since 2002, has 23 berths on the Shatt al Arab for general commercial use and delivery of emergency supplies.
Inland Waterways: Iraq has 5,275 kilometers of inland waterways, including canals and rivers that are considered major lines of communication. The main navigable waterways are the Euphrates River (2,815 kilometers) and the Tigris River (1,895 kilometers).
Civil Aviation and Airports: In 2004 Iraq had 79 airports with paved runways, including 21 with runways longer than 3,000 meters. Another 32 airports had unpaved runways. The three major international airports are at Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul. All major airports were damaged during the war of 2003, and since that time the coalition military force has been the major user. In early 2005, Royal Jordanian Airways was the only airline running regular flights between Amman and Baghdad. The state-owned national airline, Iraq Airways, has not been allowed to resume flights. The airline’s financial position remained unclear following a 2004 decision by the interim government to delay restoration of the air travel industry until the seating of a permanent government. In March 2005, Iraq's Ministry of Transportation signed an agreement with Alya Airways of Jordan to airlift passengers between Baghdad and Amman.
Pipelines: In 2004 Iraq had an estimated 5,418 kilometers of oil pipelines, 1,739 kilometers of natural gas pipelines, and 1,343 kilometers of pipelines for refined products. The system, which nominally is capable of transporting several million barrels of oil per day, has suffered severe damage in three military conflicts and in the sabotage that followed the 2003 war. The main oil export line is the 1,000-kilometer Kirkuk-Ceyhan dual line, which leads to the Black Sea and has a capacity of 1.6 million barrels per day. However, since 2003 the line has been either closed or operating at minimum capacity. A major line between Iraq and the Red Sea has a similar capacity but was confiscated by Saudi Arabia in 2001. The largest natural gas pipeline connects Baghdad with the West Qurnah field in southeastern Iraq.
Telecommunications: The war of 2003 severely disrupted telecommunications in all of Iraq. Since that time, the U.S. Agency for International Development has overseen repair operations by U.S. contractors, but sabotage has delayed restoration in some areas. In 2004 Iraq had an estimated 1.2 million conventional telephone lines, about half of which were in the Baghdad area. However, a large percentage of those lines were out of service. An insufficient technical infrastructure also has delayed the replacement of conventional telephone lines with fiber optic lines. Construction of a mobile-phone system began in late 2003, with the goal of providing what is considered an essential service by the end of 2005. Three consortia received contracts to establish mobile phone service in the north, center, and south, respectively. In 2004 work in the northern region proceeded fastest, although jurisdictional and financial complications emerged.
Internet access expanded rapidly after the war of 2003, following the end of full state control under the Husayn regime. In 2002 an estimated 25,000 people were using the Internet. In 2004 the main points of access were hotels and Internet cafés in Baghdad, Basra, and Kurdistan. Domestic Internet land lines remained unreliable.