Colonel Tim Regen told AFP the chaotic security situation remained his biggest obstacle, but bristled at criticism from international relief agencies the US military had not done enough to make the country safe for help.

"The Fifth Corp and Third Infantry Division have rolled into town and secured it, but we're still fighting the small factions," he said on a visit to Baghdad's Al-Yarmuk hospital, which was damaged by a US airstrike.

He admitted the US army's humanitarian operations were still "probably about 10 percent of where we want to be."

He said his biggest job right now was getting the power up and running, especially in Baghdad.

"Right now the main issue is power. Generation capability is linked to water delivery," Regen said.

The US military had said it was aiming to ensure half the city's five million people receive rolling power by Friday. Baghdad has been without power since April 4 after it was cut off during heavy US-led bombings.

But Regen stressed some of the capital's neighborhoods did not have electricity well before the Americans arrived.

"You gotta understand. It's not just come in and turn the power back on. The electricity lines that lead to the plant have to be assessed. Then there's natural gas lines," he said.

"We want the Iraqis to be self-sufficient. In order to be self-sufficient, they need to start with their own power plants. We've got our civil affairs officers out there trying to get those workers back to work."

Next on the list was getting water treatment plants and hospitals back in operation, he said. Iraqis are growing increasingly angry and vocal at the lack of electricity or water, sparking fears of civil unrest.

Regen chafed at criticism from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and World Health Organization (WHO) that the US forces were not doing enough to provide protection for hospitals which have been ravaged by looters so they could deliver vital medical supplies.

There are 33 hospitals in Baghdad, several major power plants and 250 substations "and they all want security," he said.

The ICRC has said many of the hospital staff were staying away because they were scared of more looting. US officials said Tuesday that 14 of the city's hospitals were functioning.

"The hospitals that are running are going to have (US) security. But how much I think depends on the threat in the area," Regen said.

But he said he saw "no more troops coming in" to help with the task.

"The real question you're asking is are we creating an requirement upward to ask for more soldiers (from the Pentagon). The answer is obviously yes. What's the response going to be? I don't know," he said.

Asked if all the city's hospitals would be guarded he said "eventually" but that it would be up to the reorganised police force.

He stressed that for most aid agencies to enter the country they need the United Nations to send in an assessment team. But he said they probably would not do that until the war was declared over.

"That's their Catch-22, not mine," he said.

He added that non-governmental agencies in the war-ravaged country should not view his operation as the enemy.

"They're trying to ensure they're neutrality. I can appreciate that.

"But what's going to be most helpful is if we know what they're doing and we can take the medical resources that we have focused and send them out to them."

SPACE.WIRE