"The Oil will Pay for this"

[ThoughtCriminal]

Here's a nice collection of Early and pre-war quotes on the cost from the usual gang of idiots:

Budget Director Mitch Daniels

On September 15th 2002, White House economic advisor Lawrence Lindsay estimated the high limit on the cost to be 1-2% of GNP, or about $100-$200 billion. Mitch Daniels, Director of the Office of Management and Budget subsequently discounted this estimate as “very, very high” and stated that the costs would be between $50-$60 billion...

“There’s just no reason that this can’t be an affordable endeavor.”

“The United States is committed to helping Iraq recover from the conflict, but Iraq will not require sustained aid.”

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

“Well, the Office of Management and Budget, has come up come up with a number that's something under $50 billion for the cost... How much of that would be the U.S. burden, and how much would be other countries, is an open question.”

“I don’t know that there is much reconstruction to do.”

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz

“I think it's necessary to preserve some ambiguity of exactly where the numbers are.”

Top Economist Adviser Glen Hubbard

“Costs of any such intervention would be very small.”

Budget Director Josh Bolten

“We don't anticipate requesting anything additional for the balance of this year.”

Past Comments About How Much Iraq Would Cost

Press Secretary Ari Fleischer: “Well, the reconstruction costs remain a very -- an issue for the future. And Iraq, unlike Afghanistan, is a rather wealthy country. Iraq has tremendous resources that belong to the Iraqi people. And so there are a variety of means that Iraq has to be able to shoulder much of the burden for their own reconstruction.”

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage: “This is not Afghanistan…When we approach the question of Iraq, we realize here is a country which has a resource. And it’s obvious, it’s oil. And it can bring in and does bring in a certain amount of revenue each year…$10, $15, even $18 billion…this is not a broke country.”

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz: “There’s a lot of money to pay for this that doesn’t have to be U.S. taxpayer money, and it starts with the assets of the Iraqi people…and on a rough recollection, the oil revenues of that country could bring between $50 and $100 billion over the course of the next two or three years…We’re dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.”

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: “If you the cost, the money, Iraq is a very different situation from Afghanistan…Iraq has oil. They have financial resources.”

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There's More! (with sources):
http://www.house.gov/schakowsky/iraqquotes_web.htm

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. At the time they sounded so convincing, like they knew what they were

talking about. They are still at it till this day.

[tuvor]

2. Where IS that revenue going, anyway?

Found this on bartcop