USMC: Property Leasing Program continues in Fallujah

[Barrett808]

United States Marine Corps
Press Release
Public Affairs Office
Multi-National Force-West;

[e-mail]
Release # 0719-05-0848

Property Leasing Program continues in Fallujah
July 19, 2005

CIVIL MILITARY OPERATIONS CENTER, Fallujah, Iraq -- Fallujah residents received approximately $203,000 in property lease payments during the second round of the Property Leasing Program here last week. Marines and sailors from 2nd Marine Division, partnered with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, executed 139 leases during a two-day period.

The program, which kicked off in June, was created to compensate local residents whose homes were or are currently occupied by coalition forces. Last month, 94 contracts were completed and $76,000 in payments were made in three days.

“The impact is two-fold,” said Maj. Tom Nelson, an economic development officer with 5th Civil Affairs Group. “First, and most importantly, the people of Fallujah see us doing the right thing by paying them for the use of their properties. Secondly, we inject much-needed capital directly into the local economy.”

Two specialists from the Contingency Real Estate Support Team (CREST), Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, executed the leases on behalf of the United States government.

“We normally execute leases in batches of 20 to 30,” said Melissa Head, CREST representative. “I was impressed that the Marines were able to do the right thing for so many people so efficiently.”

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/templatereleaseview1/A9A7D917A600D0D8852570430046590A?opendocument

[wtmusic]

1. This is infuriating

"doing the right thing by paying them for the use of their properties."

These motherfuckers think they can roll in, destroy the neighborhood then throw some pennies and frozen chickens at the residents and everything will be just dandy.

Fuck them. Fuck the Marines. Was flattening their properties also "doing the right thing"? :grr:

[krkaufman]

4. I'll pop my head up to say I don't strictly fault the grunts

They're just cogs in the machine. And I'll also say that paying the Iraqis for their properties is better than not.

Of course, pitifully token gestures like this will be seen in their true light by those suffering under the occupation, and may even further feed the insurgency.

It makes me wonder whether the payouts are to sooth the Iraqis, or to give the Marines the feeling that they're doing the right thing -- as part of a psychological campaign to maintain morale.

[wtmusic]

6. Well this particular cog is an asshole

and his attitude is symptomatic of the pervasive attitude that "might makes right". It starts at the top and filters down to every rank-and-file grunt.

I would bet that Iraqis take the payments to survive, but support the insurgency. As the US military continues to put no stock in the pride of these people, we will continue to be paid back for our arrogance.

[krkaufman]

8. Wouldn't that be ironic...

... if these propaganda payments to the (former) residents of Fallujah were being immediately funneled to insurgents?

[K-W]

2. The local economy needs capital?

Silly me, i thought it needed, food, water and for the US to remove its occupying forces.

[Tempest]

3. Do the math

"94 contracts were completed and $76,000 in payments were made in three days"

That means each resident is getting $808 dollars, and they've been out of their homes for almost a year now.

No wonder the people there hate the U.S.

[thecrow]

5. Do the math again to see what was paid out last week

$203,000/139 = $1462.83 (I assume this is an average) per lease

I wonder how much a US dollar is worth in Iraq?

I also wonder what they are doing for the people whose homes were destroyed... how much of a payoff did they get?

Also....How much time do these lesases cover? A month? A year?

[xxqqqzme]

7. by all the questions there is a

shameful dearth of information in that 'pat on the back' press release.

[anarchy1999]

9. ain't this damn special! We annihilated a town and now we are doing what?

I said earlier in another post "I've never been so sick", I guess I spoke too soon. Everyone please google Fallujah and April of 2003. How would you feel if you lived there?