Need a Quote: 6 weeks

[neonplaque]

Which Bush official said something to the effect that the Iraq war "could last 6 weeks or 6 months but I can't see it lasting that long"? I can't find this source on google?

Also, who said the cost of the war would be like $1.85 billion (or some such thing).


Links would be helpful.

Thanks in advance!

[Bluebear]

1. I don't know, but Bush said there would be NO casualties

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49088-2004Oct20.html

[Greyhound]

5. yep it was that little weasel in a speech to troops just arrived, or...

departing for Iraq at the beginning. He added that he doubted it would be that long.

[paineinthearse]

2. Sounds like Rummy, on both counts

But I am too tired to research.

Try www.dod.gov and search a few key words.

[Greeby]

4. It was Rummy

I recall The Daily Show playing that clip when he came out and said 12 years

[brettdale]

3. I remember dumbsfield

When Baghdad fell, being a real smartass with the media, saying the looting is not a major problem, well I think there is more to worry about now than looting.

[magellan]

6. The first was Rummy

"And it is not knowable if force will be used, but if it is to be used, it is not knowable how long that conflict would last. It could last, you know, six days, six weeks. I doubt six months." -- Rumsfeld Town Hall Meeting at Aviano Airbase, Feb 2003

The starting figure for the war in Iraq was $60-80 billion. The White House cut the original figures they were throwing around -- $100-200 billion -- in January 2003. Read here: White House Cuts Estimate of Cost of War With Iraq -- NY Times, January 2, 2003

[punpirate]

7. Regarding the $1.85 billion figure...

... you might have been thinking of the cost to the US of Iraq reconstruction, rather than the cost of the invasion. There were estimates early on (in an effort to convince Congress to pass the necessary resolution for invasion) that the reconstruction costs would be neglible. Here's a good source put together by Jan Schakowsky's office on salient quotes about the cost of war and reconstruction:

http://www.house.gov/schakowsky/iraqquotes_web.htm

Cheers.