Ex-Iraq Bank Head Says Cost Will Force U.S. Pullout

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031020/wl_nm/iraq_cost_dc&cid=574&ncid=1473

GENEVA (Reuters) - A former head of Iraq's Central Bank predicted Monday that the spiraling cost of holding down Iraq will compel the United States to look for an early way to pull out of the country.

An exile in the West for the past two decades, Salah Shaikhly also said "democratic forces" in Iraq were on the retreat from religious and fundamentalist groups while political leaders were sowing ethnic division.

"Once the U.S. Congress and public opinion realize the true cost burden of the Iraqi campaigns for the U.S. taxpayer, they will force this and any future administration to quickly look for an honorable exit strategy," Shaikhly said.

There were already signs that U.S. efforts to prepare the ground for this were under way, he said.

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[nadinbrzezinski]

1. I am not surprsed

that was one of the predicted possible ends to this mess... a civil war or a fundamentalist state, or a combo

[chromotone]

2. Sorry, Chimpy...

In the past, President Bush and his aides have denied they are looking for a way to leave despite the mounting casualties among U.S. troops and the growing cost of the occupation effort.

The kegger's empty, the beach deserted, and your credit card's maxed out.

It's over. Time to head back to Crawford. :hangover:

[cliss]

3. You know what really stinks about this?

In the final reckoning, it's only going to be about money. That's the only deciding factor. The fact that millions of people around the world stood up against the mighty US, the fact that untold thousands of innocent Iraqis have been killed, and the fact that US soldiers are still getting killed every day, is but negligble, when compared with the almighty DOLLAR.

At some point, it will be deemed that this war is too costly.