US writes off $4.1bn in Iraq debt

[Pale_Rider]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4106581.stm

The US has written off all of its $4.1bn in Iraqi debt and urged other nations to follow suit.

At a ceremony in Washington to mark the move, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said the cancellation was important for Iraq's "new beginning".

Iraq's finance minister said the debt relief was a "second liberation".

Correspondents say the US has now gone further than other nations in the Paris Club of lenders, which last month agreed to cancel 80% of Iraq's debt.

'Victory'

Mr Powell, US Treasury Secretary John Snow and Iraqi Finance Minister Adil Abd-al-Mahdi signed the agreement in a ceremony at the Department of State.

"This a tremendous victory... for the Iraqi people," Mr Powell said.

[Zinfandel]

1. Now all the oil profits can go to Halliburton, Carlyle Group, etc.,

James Baker did his job. Just like in Florida 2000.

The Counsel for the Bush Crime Family deserves a raise!

[WindRavenX]

2. 4.1 billion

...with that kind of money, we could have had universal health care and really boosted our schools.
Instead, we killed 1,300 of our soldiers and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civillians. Disgusting.

[Career Prole]

3. They didn't get rid of it...they just took it off

the Iraqi balance sheet and put it on our grandchildrens' tab.

[moondust]

4. "We screwed the U.S. taxpayer good this time!"

Anonymous source.

[bhikkhu]

5. Neatly offset by the profits of a year of theft and murder

We certainly have gone further than other nations...to say the least.

[oblivious]

6. I understood that over 30 billion had already been forgiven...

...by the Paris Club, including about 9 billion by Russia alone.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

7. "The Iraqis will WELCOME us as liberators, and...

...the war will be paid for by their oil."

[Contrary1]

8. That's such a noble

and kind gesture by King George on our behalf, don't you think?
Let's see if I can summarize this...

We spend our money removing a dictator they didn't have the
balls take care of themselves...

We are spending our money fighting their civil war that
they don't seem to want to take part in...

We are spending our money guarding their oil, so that
if and when the above-mentioned civil war ends, they will be able
to rejoin the other OPEC nations in ripping us off...

Our men and women will continue to die, so that in 15 or 20 years,
when the US occupation is over, they can revert back to the
only government they have ever known...

And now, we get to fund their "new beginning", whatever
the hell that means...

I'm sure I have missed something...

America will never recover from the damage this idiot and his
partners will have caused by the end of his eight year reign.

I think I'll have myself another beer.

[daleo]

9. Wow generous

"Bush to Iraq - You don't have to pay me for killing your families."

[Guaranteed]

10. = cheaper crude oil for oil companies and higher profits

when they decide not to simultaneously lower prices (supply/demand stays the same- WOW!!)

So, once again, this is our federal government giving OUR TAX DOLLARS to oil companies!! YAY!!

[TacticalPeek]

11. Kick.

:kick:

[bobthedrummer]

12. Political campaign contributions of post-Iraq War "contractors"/mercenary

paramilitaries.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/resources.aspx?act=contrib

[Barkley]

13. Exactly, when did we lend Iraq $4.1 billion? and for what?

[tx_dem41]

14. Just call it "practicing for transitioning to SS privatization".

It sounds better that way.

[Inland]

15. With that money, we could pay for 16 days of the occupation!

Now running at a cost of about $2 billion a week.

[0007]

16. US writes off $4.1bn in Iraq debt and steals 20.2bn in Iraqi oil

Yeah, this is a tremendous victory for the Iraqi people, 'eh?

[bobthedrummer]

17. Kick

:dem::kick:

[0007]

18. ...again

:kick::bounce:

[shadowknows69]

19. who's gonna forgive my debts?

[HeeBGBz]

20. How bout forgiving my student loan

I can't pay that sucker

[shadowknows69]

22. ummm

why don't we the tax payers that sent 200 billion to liberate iraq get to say whether or not they need to pay us back.

[VegasWolf]

23. Repaying your student loan won't help Halliburton. n/t

[renegade000]

21. so when

are we going to get other countries to forgive our debt?

;)

[Behind the Aegis]

24. Not surprised

How can a country that is financially screwed excuse a debt like that? It is the same as me telling someone who owes me $1000 dollars, not to worry about it, even though my own debt exceeds that amount. It is not financially sound!

[zann725]

25. And that 4 Billion comes from where? Social Sec. Trust, let me guess.

Or directly from Taxpayers whose votes did not even count, let me guess! What IS wrong with this picture?

No wonder they keep spending like adolescents. We allow them. Someone needs to cut their "allowance" soon.

Also, they write-off $4 Billion to the Iraqis...and that Nat'l. Guard soldier last week who lost an arm and hand in the war was charged his entire exit pay, and then some...for equipment he failed to turn in because it was blown up, along with his arm during battle. Why didn't our Admin. (who "supports our troops") write-off that soldier's meager debt, in exchange for the loss of his arm and hand. But oh no, they relied on Senators Schumer and Clinton to do so for them.