Kerry: Four Years and $19 Billion Later, Iraqi Security Training "Disaster"

[ProSense]

06/27/2007

Kerry: Four Years and $19 Billion Later, Iraqi Security Training "Disaster"

"$19 billion dollars doesn't buy much 'standing up'"

WASHINGTON D.C. – Sen. John Kerry issued the following statement today, in response to a new bi-partisan Congressional report, which showed that the Pentagon spent more than $19 billion to train Iraqi security, yet the forces are still incapable of maintaining order in that country.


“Four years and $19 billion dollars later, there’s pathetically little of the overhyped and overspun ‘standing up’ of Iraqi security forces to show for our investment. The massive waste and lack of progress is yet another example of how the Administration’s mistakes and misjudgments have created a disaster in Iraq,” Kerry said. “It’s obvious from this new report that the Administration cannot be counted on to get it right or tell it straight. I intend to work closely with my colleagues in coming weeks, as the Senate reviews the Department of Defense budget, to see what steps we can take to end this waste. Blank check after blank check has only driven us deeper into the red.”

Time to test the Repub rhetoric.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Perspective. A reiteration:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2895631&mesg_id=2896024

[Amonester]

2. Thank you, Mr. President! (how we wish you had contested...)

U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK

The Outstanding Public Debt as of 27 Jun 2007 at 11:54:17 PM GMT is:
$ 8, 812, 210, 986, 191.46

The estimated population of the United States is 302,276,662
so each citizen's share of this debt is $29,152.80.

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of
$1.13 billion per day since September 29, 2006!

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock

[Rydz777]

3. Two questions:

(1) How many schools, bridges, water and sewer systems could have been refurbished with that $ 19 billion?
(2) How much of the $ 19 billion did we borrow (e.g. from China)?

I know money is fungible and there is no unique answer to these questions but I also know that if we are going to borrow money we would do better to invest it in things at home that might benefit the next generation who will have to pay off the debt.

When Bush got his Harvard MBA, he missed the class in which they taught that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Well, Kerry was right. America couldn't take another four more years of George Bush.

[ginnyinWI]

5. yes, and as he said:

It was the most important election of our lifetimes. :(

[havocmom]

6. Probably not a disaster for Cheney's portfolio -

ditto for his pals and patrons.

[BlueIris]

7. Kick. nt