$79 Billion + $87 Billion = $166 Billion so far for Iraq and counting

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030908/pl_nm/iraq_usa_costs_dc&cid=615&ncid=1473

For Bush, Rosy Scenarios Meet Reality in Iraq

<snip>Five months and tens of billions of dollars later, Bush and his top aides are acknowledging for the first time the magnitude of occupying and rebuilding the battered country by asking Congress for an extra $87 billion for next year, on top of the $79 billion already approved for this year.

[slappypan]

1. for that kind of money

Seems like we could have bought each Iraqi family a condo in Florida for that much money.

[Brian Sweat]

3. Not really,

but it is over $6,000 for every man women and child in Iraq. Could't we just pay them to like us?

[cjbuchanan]

4. I was wondering the same thing

$6000 is about a year's salary. I think they might like us a bit more for that. Think Bush & Co. could even claim it as a tax rebate for all the bombs we dropped on them. This could work.

[Old and In the Way]

2. And how much for the defense contractors and Bush corporate

sponsors. I think we need to graph and plot who does really well in the Iraq conflict in relation to our national expense to fight this war. I think we'll be amazed and outraged that, coincidentally, they are all big time contributors to Bush and the RNC.

[MrMonk]

8. I wonder about that, too

How much will be going to the defense contractors who want to renegotiate their present contracts?

[CWebster]

5. And to think it was all so unnecessary

Unless the US relinquishes control to the UN they shouldn't vote for a penny of it because otherwise what incentive do the Bush crew have to change anything? This is just throwing money to those who already demonstrated their inability to get a handle on the facts on the ground. they can pass off anything as a fix.

[NNN0LHI]

6. kick

[0007]

7. I don't get it - I'm not overly intelligent

Please explain why 87 billion? 86 billion woundn't be enough? 88 billion would be too much? Why fucking 87 billion?

I use to like Joe Biden & Joe Lieberman, now I think they suck. Were they always like this?

$87,000,000,000
I'm pissed!

[NNN0LHI]

9. Same reason that everything in the store costs $1.98 instead of $2.00 even

[Bandit]

10. But ..but.. They said Iraqi oil would pay for everything

:shrug: Iraq, unlike Afghanistan is supposed to pay for it's own rebuilding from receipts of their oil. Is this another LIE? Why does the Amnerican taxpayer have to pay Halliburton instead of Iraq? I guess the oil is desiginated for other areas, like maybe Carlyle or Enron.

[Old and In the Way]

12. That was the plan.

Unfortunately, the oil is not flowing like they planned. I think this is why Bush has decided to magnanimously offer the UN to help with the security. It's a total loser for the US right now. We have the military/infrastructure investment and no oil revenue to offset.

Frankly, I hope they tell George to go pound sand. He threatened, lied, and insulted all of our natural allies in the lead up to his decision to invade. He made it clear that we would control the oil, contracts, and money. So why would they help this idiot and legitimize his illegal actions?

If the UN goes in, that frees up resources to go after Iraq or Syria...does the world really want this to heppen? Don't enable this guy....best thing is to let him take full credit for the mess he caused. This war/occupation didn't have to take place....let him explain it to the AMerican people.

Who's irrelevant now Dimson?

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. And how much is going to Halliburton?

*

[ignatius]

13. And just think,2 months ago they

couldn't even provide congress with a decent estimate.

I think they bought their own bullshit, that the Iraquis would welcome us, the oil would be flowing, the conquering heroes with their shock and awe fireworks display and 98 cent gas at the pumps would ensure them victory in 04 and allow more occupation like a cancer over the ME.

I have written comments to our paper and to congress. This administration is totally incompetent and delusional. 166 billion is some REAL money and with this country's economy still in the toilet, I think we "Amurican's" have had all we can stand.

It Is time for a regime change in America!!!!

[moondust]

14. He'll want another $50+ billion in no time.

Republicans are BIG big spenders. It pays to hire poor politicians who know how to make do.

[ignatius]

15. Big spenders as long as it is someone

elses money. Bush said he was going to run this country like a business, he just didn;t say it would be Enron.

Privatize the profits, socialize the expenses, that is the Republican way.

[gully]

16. I calculated about 569.00 for every person in the US so far....

$164,000,000,000.00 included the original 77 bil plus the new 87 bil... divided by the us population of aprox 293 mil... and the figure was $569.00 per individual.

costofwar.com has some interesting estimates/comparisons from before also.

This was is costing my small family (so far) about $1800.00 Thanks George!

[ComerPerro]

17. Add the 87 to his current deficit

And he will be well over half a trillion dollars.