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$53 Billion for Empty Buildings
The U.S. has spent $53 billion rebuilding Iraq, and officials increasingly worry that a big chunk of that money will be wasted because Iraq can't maintain its tens of thousands of new facilities—and therefore provide basic services to its citizens—once Americans leave. Over the past two years, the Iraqi government has refused or delayed the transfer of U.S.-built projects because it can't staff or maintain them, The New York Times reports. Schools, hospitals, and prisons built with American cash have been left vacant long after their completion due to the scarcity of trained workers. But even though Baghdad has often managed these facilities poorly, Washington can share some of the blame, because these projects haven't been followed up with adequate training. And thanks to declining oil prices, the Iraqi government needs $400 billion more to help fulfill pledges for rebuilding as its January elections approach. In the meantime, American reconstruction specialists continue to leave the country in large numbers, taking their expertise with them. The withdrawal of of large numbers of American forces begins next year.
Garrison
Better drag Bush out of the Saloon for some advice.
Plantagenet
Why was Obama so feckless and short-sighted as to dither for an entire before withdrawing large numbers of US troops? Obama should've been withdrawing our troops THIS year, to save money and to get them the heck out of there before Iraq destabilizes again.
SFGiants
Plant: we know you have finally learned, after long struggle, the word "dither"'. Can you learn a new word? How about a "Spanish-Word-of-the-Day"? Like "pendejo"?
Dolmance
Plantagenet, you're either a profoundly obnoxious 15 year old or an imbecilic slob.
Personally, I think you're a profoundly obnoxious 15 year old who's going to grow up to be an imbecilic slob.
Johnnyappleseed
Yeah like "pendejo" I like it sf, but out of his element is more fitting, he still thinks he is in Chicago.
case1234
Dept of education annual budget: $62.6 billion.. And that is the cost that right wingers hiss and jeer at.. not the billions spent to rebuild Iraq.
Plantagenet
Anyone with any sense jeers at the billions that Pelosi and the dems in Congress have voted again and again to appropriate to be wasted in Iraq. Thats why its so stupid for Obama to have dithered away this year when he should have been bringing our troops home and cutting off the flow of US money to the Iraqis.
Demsdisorder
Plant seems like every time you post the real loons jump on you. my question is do you have something for free??? that seems to be the only thing that gets the laying down on the left sides slobs off the ground.
sophia5
Right or left, both sides waste OUR money.
Rebuilding Iraq was good for Mr. Deferment (Evil Dick Cheney) and Halliburton Stock . . . at the expense of blood and lost lives.
Eisenhower: Beware The Military Industrial Complex.
camfield
Yes, we continue to pay big time for the folly of the Bush years, when he was so supported by those steely-brained Republicans now adamantly opposed to health care reform. That $53 billion down the old rathole that is Iraq sure would look nice in a domestic health-care budget . . . or even spent on some new schools, hospitals, prisons built here around home rather than over there.
hkjonus
The cost of Iraq is still rising..... and we still don't have health care. sad sad sad.....
rapierwits
Heck of a job, neo-cons!
Actually, a lot of them DO now have great jobs over there as consultants, who are not gov't officials and, therefore, not subject to anti-bribery regulations for the policies they helped to write into the Iraqi constitution.
Dolmance
Is there a reason this is important to anyone outside of Iraq?
Pbeezy
Important in the sense that we blew the place up and now we are leaving? I guess not...Has this ever worked, and by this I mean going in blowing up a country and then rebuilding it? Is there always shortsightedness, or did we see this coming? I dunno bout you guys but it doesn't seem new to me. Oh and legalize it..
Housebird
Pheezy-- lol-- you have put out simple logic -- and that is all it takes.
That -- Dolmance -- poster is to be ignored as a Patriotic Duty.
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Demsdisorder
troops out next year? wow.. b-man good job.
FatFreddy
After we leave, the Iraqis can tear them down and sell the scrap. The companies that will be buying the scrap will most likely be the companies that built the buildings and plants, for pennies on the dollar.
"And whether or not the American-built health centers and power plants are ever used as intended, the American companies that won the lion's share of rebuilding contracts from the federal government have been paid."
Housebird
Those "smooth talking" neocons were able to sell the American Goyim with all those lies.
The "war" would pay for itself -- we would be welcomed with flowers -- etc etc.-- it was going to be a "walk in the Park".
With their "bait and switch" technique we now have their "War on Islam".
Who wouldn't be surprised if Rham Emanuel has threatened to resign if he doesn't get his Afghanistan "surge" ???
http://swordofallah.20m.com/
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FatFreddy
"it was going to be a "walk in the Park"."
No, it was going to be a "cakewalk".
Cakewalk to Baghdad
Lyrics and music by Bruce Barthol © 2003
I remember back, before we whacked Iraq
I was watching the news, were we gonna attack?
A man named Richard Perle came on and talked
He said going to Baghdad would be a cakewalk
Cakewalk to Baghdad,
Cakewalk to Baghdad
It went real easy,
Took a couple of weeks
Tore down that statue
Set those Saddamites free
The Frogs and the Krauts, they feel real bad,
They missed out cakewalkin' into Baghdad
Cakewalk to Baghdad,
Cakewalk to Baghdad
Next we're gonna cakewalk into Teheran,
Gonna cakewalk to Damascus and Pyong-yin-yang
When we strut on in,
Everybody's gonna cheer
They'll be wavin' old glory,
We'll have kegs of beer, just like that...
Cakewalk to Baghdad,
Cakewalk to Baghdad
Cakewalk to Baghdad,
Cakewalk to Baghdad
Now moms and dads don't worry 'bout
Your soldier boys and girls
We're just sending them cakewalkin'
Around the world
When the coffins come home and the flag unfurls
Cheer for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Perle
Cakewalk to Baghdad,
Cakewalk to Baghdad
Do you think we'll see those Bush boys patrollin' the streets
Like our soldiers got to do in Basram and Tikrit?
We gonna see Richard Perle cakewakin' 'round
The streets and alleys of Baghdad town?
Cakewalk to Baghdad,
Cakewalk to Baghdad
Easy to cakewalk in ... not so easy to cakewalk out.
Johnnyappleseed
Really sad, but this is more applicable to Viet Nam than Iraq, the body count under the Democatic war in Viet Nam was well over 50,000
ConstitutionalRights
Nice poem but you forget how it evolved. No matter how much you blame Bush for the problem, that is like blaming Nixon for Vietnam. Bush #1 defended Kuwait and stopped from going to Bagdad. The cease fire that resulted had conditions which Saddam did not honor. Clinton then had multiple threats and hassles with Saddam and set up the invasion opportunity, while Saddam continued to butcher his own people. During that time Saddam sent people to America, who were caught, whose goal was to kill Bush #1. So, with all the broken cease fire issues and the attempt on dads life, there was plenty of reason to go to Iraq, including WMD. (NOTE: WMD is not just nuclear, but also gas, and other things which he had and used).
So, yes Bush went in, and cleaned some of the mess that was there, but now it is time for them to deal with it themselves. Unfortunately, like everything the government does (like government housing and Social Services) they do so with good intentions but poor results. We need to get out, but not like Vietnam or we'll see the same thing, millions of people die and chaos for decades.
I suggest you forecast what the next steps will be since you have all the answers. We get out, then what? Unfortunately just watching them self destruct is not going to keep us safe. This is a cess pool, and any solution will have some stink in it.
Housebird
Johnnyappleseed
Really sad, but this is more applicable to Viet Nam than Iraq, the body count under the Democatic war in Viet Nam was well over 50,000
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Johnnyappleseed Why don't you include the 4 Million Vietnamese deaths , or the 1.3 Million Iraqi deaths.(ICH) ????
How do deaths under Republicans and deaths under Democrats differ ????
FYI --people are still being injured and killed from US Cluster Bombs left in Vietnam.
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Housebird
Good morning America ! ! !
Dare to see the mess you have gotten "yourself" into ????
US 'official' debt as of November 16, 2009 * * Twelve Trillion * *
Its all here scroll down ---- if you dare !
http://thewe.cc/contents/more/archive/circus.html
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hfb1053
HB: Are you an American? You always speak about "them" and not about "us". It's not that I would mind if you weren't American but it sure would explain a lot. And really, little chicken, you don't have to "dare" us to read something. There are some really hostile posters on this site, but most of them make sense to me; you, on the other hand, do not. Your remarks are those of a foreigner.
Housebird
hfb1053
Them may include Americans like "hfb1053" and the Lynch Mob Crowd who without remorse brought a Holocaust to Iraq.
Americans who have most probably never done any research and rely on the "gut feelings" fostered by the US MSM.
Us are saner American folk who have taken the time to study all sides and speak out as Patriotic Americans against Injustice.
The USA has been over influenced by a small percentage of Americans with a first loyalty to a country other than the USA .
hfb1053 --- you apparently are still a child but hopefully you are learning to shed your coat of ignorance day by day.
Check this link out it may help you in your search for "wisdom".
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7877765982288566190#
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LutfiUSMC
The neocone were planning on long term stay, so they can protect Israel from one side and attack Iran from the other side, and who care of the cost , its not there money, they just look good on TV, and cable,and have you noticed that they all brain washed, wow they do have something in common with OBL, maybe they tweet with each other so they can keep there sentence short, they don't want to short curcit there brain, and the money lost will that could have paid for the health care, jobs, better regulation for banks, and investment firms, better education, better road in the US, better infrastructure ,
Bender
Lufti, i don't buy what your saying, it isn't about Isreal you just sound like another bigoted guy. it is about oil, not that tiny little country.
but yes, most of us are getting tired of spending money to rebuild a country like iraq that isn't even trying to get on its own feet. time to get out. and get out of afganistan. try to set them up as best we can for the pullout. but its time to stop occupying both places now... and yes we can stop spending so much money on the military and the whole military industrial complex.
LutfiUSMC
Bender, a bigot far from it, i have friends from all religious persuasion, have been to Catholic, Baptist, Jehovah witness,off course Synagogue, and Mosque, when i was in the Marine in the 70's they called me the one with funny religion, so we had an Israeli American, and he asked me if I would go with him, and I did everyone did not know who I was tell they asked me whats my name, and were I was born but i told the navy captain who was a Rabbi it was a wonderful experience, its do bad we don't do that more often , have respect for all people, i might disagree with them on some issue, but human right, fairness, tolerance, and holding our County, state, and federal government official responsible and accountable for sure, care about our school and the future of our next generation for my kids are part of that, but please read there was a plan that was written by neocone for PM Netanyahu in the early 90's after we finished the first gulf war, they were disappointed that the first Bush did not go to Baghdad, they also tried to sell it to Clinton and it that they discussed the occupation of Iraq, and change the Middle east also during the 80's we supported Saddam and Israel supported Iran, during there war and prior to that when Saddam was young student in Cairo, he met with the CIA officer on a monthly bases, actually i seen it on TV before we went to liberate the Iraq, so please don't call me a bigote and i do wish you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving holiday, peace on earth
Housebird
Bender
Lufti, i don't buy what your saying, it isn't about Isreal you just sound like another bigoted guy. it is about oil, not that tiny little country.
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Bender
LutfiUSMC is of course correct and you Bender like many Americans sadly have bought the MSM propaganda from the neocon propaganda sources..
Most "students" now realize that Israel is/was the beneficiary of this Iraq debacle.
Authorities like Professor James Petras and others have gone into great depth to connect the dots for people who have never had the opportunity to get at the truth.
http://petras.lahaine.org/articulo.php?p=1704
BTW that tiny little country -- presumably you mean Israel --- has only the 4th strongest Military in the World and recently threatened Gaza with a Nuclear strike.
That "little country" that has never set its boundaries as is constantly extending them -- recently bombed Lebanon back 50 years and Gaza back to the Stone Age.
Before Israel attacked Gaza children there were reduced to eating grass to survive and today Gaza still has to try and survive under severe sanctions and a blockade.
Connecting the dots: IRAQ & PALESTINE
http://qumsiyeh.org/connectingthedotsiraqpalestine/
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DakLak
You forget a lot of money was pocketed by Cheney's friends in security and construction and made it's way back to the U.S.A.
In other jurisdictions it's called fraud.
TWBBug
Hey, how a bout a few billions for out schools and neighborhood centers? Telling our kids they need to play football or something an hour a day after they cut after school and most physical ed classes and sports programs just takes some guts when your pooring money in places that just reak oil and other stuff....PLEASE!
hfb1053
We need that money; screw them.
Bruceene
Doesn't Biden or Hillary know what to do ?? Ask Bush SR, Bill
Clinton ? Someone must know the right thing to do? You know what George Bush Jr would do.
makeclear
Some people, Republicans especially, forgot that they are responsible for:
1. Two unfunded wars
2. A deficit of more than $1 trillion, and still growing
3. Medicare drug plan, which is unfunded, and accessable to illegal aliens.
4. The bail out of wall street and their beloved insurance giant AIG.
5. Two or more stimulus packages, for which there was no accountability. Where did the money go, who got it.
6. The present economic condition is a direct result of the Republican actions. with no fiscal accountability.
6. There are billions of dollars spent on Iraq, that went down the tubes or lining some fat cat's pockets.
6. Money was also found in Iraq, where did it go? who has it.
It is very easy for the Republicans to spend money for wars, but they deny the average man decent, predictable healh care.
The Republicans are denying health care to the parents, grand parents and to the soldiers themselves who they ask to go and fight unwinnable wars.
There must be a hidden wind fall to some fat cat, why Republicans line up behind wars that milks the treasury.
The money spent on empty buildings in Iraq could have educated thousands of American college students, but no, the Republicans prefer to spend it in Iraq.
How can these people(Reps), with a staright face tell the American people that they are in thier corner, when they do nothing to support the average man.
Look at the fight they put up against healthcare, in lock step with thier sponsors, the insurance industry.
When the Reps were in power Democrats joined in to vote yes on most of the Reps bills, yet Reps. are cloned to vote no, to Democratic measures. How strange, where is the patriotism, or the loyalty to Country or the electorate?
bezvodka
If we didn't build large, expensive, unnecessary buildings in Iraq and elsewhere (we are building a thirty million dollar "troop reception center" in Afghanistan, not to mention Burger Kings, etc.) then we would be short-changing companies like Halliburton. First things first, remember!
hfb1053
Sad, but true.
Thank you.
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