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bond006
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Cornyn: Iraq’s Massive $79 Billion Surplus Is A Success Of Bush’s Policies»
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers are upset over a new Government Accountability Office report showing that the “soaring price of oil will leave the Iraqi government with a cumulative budget surplus of as much as $79 billion by year’s end.” Since 2003, U.S. taxpayers have spent $42 billion for the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq. In contrast, the Iraqi government has allocated $28 billion for similar improvements, but has spent less than $4 billion.

Today on CNN, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) tried to spin these facts as good news and a vindication of the Bush administration’s policies in Iraq:

BLITZER: Sen. Cornyn, there are a lot of Americans who feel that the Iraqis are playing the U.S. for suckers.

CORNYN: Well, I think, you know, we’ve fought long and hard to get to this position where now there is a hope that Iraq can govern and defend itself, Wolf. If we had simply quit as Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Obama wanted us to do early on, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. There wouldn’t even be the hope of a self-governing democracy of an Arab world in the Middle East. This ought to be a subject of negotiations between two sovereign powers.

But as Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) pointed out, Iraq’s surplus actually shows the failure of the Bush administration’s policies in holding the Iraqi government accountable, politically. “If we would have had our way we would have had a reasonable timetable for the redeployment of most of our troops which would have put pressure on the Iraqi government to do what they are not doing,” said Levin, “which is essential to end the conflict in Iraq and that is to work out a political settlement among themselves.” Watch it:




Paul Wolfowitz told the American people in 2003 that Iraq would be able to “finance its own reconstruction and relatively soon.” Five years later, the Bush administration continues to spend billions of U.S. taxpayer money instead. As Matt Duss noted at the Wonk Room, the administration has “committed tens of billions of American dollars to various Iraqi construction projects with no real plan for how all of it’s supposed to add up to a stable Iraqi state.”

Levin has also said that he is “seeking a provision in the defense authorization bill that would preclude spending U.S. funds on large-scale infrastructure projects in Iraq, defined as a those that exceed $2 million.” Today on CNN, Cornyn said he supported that measure.

Digg It!

Transcript:

BLITZER: Sen. Cornyn, there are a lot of Americans who feel that the Iraqis are playing the U.S. for suckers.

CORNYN: Well, I think, you know, we’ve fought long and hard to get to this position where now there is a hope that Iraq can govern and defend itself, Wolf. If we had simply quit as Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Obama wanted us to do early on, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. There wouldn’t even be the hope of a self-governing democracy of an Arab world in the Middle East. This ought to be a subject of negotiations between two sovereign powers.

I agree with Sen. Levin that Iraqis need to bear more financial responsibility and that’s why I hope we do get that provision passed in early September.

BLITZER: Go ahead and respond to the charge that if you and others like Sen. Obama, for example, would have had your way, this discussion right now about Iraqi oil surpluses and what to do with it wouldn’t even be a subject for discussion?

LEVIN: Well, if we would have had our way we would have had a reasonable timetable for the redeployment of most of our troops which would have put pressure on the Iraqi government to do what they are not doing which is essential to end the conflict in Iraq and that is to work out a political settlement among themselves. They were supposed to have elections which is a critical part of that settlement on Oct. 1, and instead of doing that, they again are doing nothing to resolve these key political differences on Iraqi elections.

BLITZER: But Sen. Levin, there has been a very dramatic drop in the number of U.S. troops killed and injured and there has been progress on the military side.

LEVIN: There has been on the military side, but the purpose of the surge was to give the Iraqis the breathing room, that was the argument, so that they could work out their political settlements. They must take political responsibility, economic responsibility, and military responsibility for their own country.

They are not doing that, so while the violence has been reduced, thank god, it’s not going to stay that way unless there is a political settlement, and instead of reaching those agreements on how to divide their resources, and on keeping their promise to have elections on Oct. 1, which are so essential to a political settlement, they are now not doing what they promised us they would do. We’ve got to keep the pressure on the Iraqis.
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Posts: 6008 | From: phoenix az | Registered: Mar 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
bond006
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Iraq expected to rack up 79-billion dollar surplus(DPA)

6 August 2008 Print E-mail
New York - The high price of oil will allow the Iraqi government to rack up a budget surplus of 79 billion dollars by year's end, a report by the Government Accountability Office, quoted in Wednesday's New York Times said.

The report by the US federal oversight agency estimates that Iraqi oil revenue from 2005 through the end of this year will amount to at least 156 billion dollars, but that the government was spending a pittance on reconstruction projects that were still being funded by US taxpayers.

The report is likely to increase the debate in the US about the continuing cost of reconstruction, costing some 48 billion dollars since 2002.

According to the report, the US has spent 23.2 billion dollars in the critical areas of security, oil, electricity and water since the 2003 invasion. But from 2005 through April 2008, Iraq has spent just 3.9 billion dollars on similar services. At the same time only 10 per cent of Iraq's expenditures went toward reconstruction, with just 1 per cent spent on maintaining US and Iraqi-funded investments in roads, water, electricity and weapons.

The report was requested by two senior senators, Carl Levin, Democrat of Michigan, and John Warner, Republican of Virginia, who both blasted the Iraqi government.

‘The Iraqi government now has tens of billions of dollars at its disposal to fund large-scale reconstruction projects,’ the senators said in a joint statement. ‘It is inexcusable for US taxpayers to continue to foot the bill for projects the Iraqis are fully capable of funding themselves. We should not be paying for Iraqi projects, while Iraqi oil revenues continue to pile up in the bank.’



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Posts: 6008 | From: phoenix az | Registered: Mar 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
bdgee
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That idiot Cornyn is just another of dubya's loud mouthed no brain flunkies.


He's might be even as rotten to the core as Lieberman.

Posts: 11304 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Mar 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
bond006
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If this wasn’t hurting our pocketbooks and wallets in America I would laugh. Iraq seems to have out-witted, out-smarted and will out-last George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. The high price of oil will allow the Iraqi government to rack up a budget surplus of 79 billion dollars by the end of 2008, a report by the Government Accountability Office, quoted in Wednesday’s New York Times said.

Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and John Warner (R-VA) was conscientious and requested an accounting of Iraq’s oil revenue.

The report by the United States federal oversight agency estimates that Iraqi oil revenue from 2005 through the end of this year will amount to at least 156 billion dollars, but that the Iraqi government was spending a minuscule amount of their profits on reconstruction projects that are still being funded by U.S. taxpayers – America is said to spend some 48 billion dollars on reconstruction in Iraq since 2002.

According to the report, the U.S. has spent 23.2 billion dollars in the critical areas of security, oil, electricity and water since the 2003 invasion. Iraq has only spent 3.9 billion dollars from 2005 through April 2008 on similar services.

Only 10 per cent of Iraq’s expenditures went toward reconstruction, with just 1 per cent spent on maintaining US and Iraqi-funded investments in roads, water, electricity and weapons.

‘It is inexcusable for US taxpayers to continue to foot the bill for projects the Iraqis are fully capable of funding themselves. We should not be paying for Iraqi projects, while Iraqi oil revenues continue to pile up in the bank.’

I understand America not wanting to pay for reconstruction in Iraq since it’s causing us to hemorrhage financially. But, ‘we’, America demolished their country, so isn’t our responsibility to rebuild it?

This is George W. Bush’s and Dick Cheney’s fault and we should redirect our anger towards them – why are we hesitating to impeach?


To add insult to injury John McCain wants to continue Bush’s economy policies and wants to stay in Iraq. If we’re hurting now, how painful will it be by 2012 if McCain becomes president

Posts: 6008 | From: phoenix az | Registered: Mar 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
bdgee
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You make one big mistake there bond. This is not ALL "George W. Bush’s and Dick Cheney’s fault".

Those two are just the point of the sword the republican party has used against the interest of the people and the Constitution.

You ask, "why are we hesitating to impeach?"

Because we have a far more important and more immediate concern, failure in which would allow the republican party to regrind the tip of th sword to a renewed point called McCain.......i.e., a third dubya term in office, continued attacks on the Constitution, and a a promised infinity of time in Iraq.

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bond006
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You can say that again
Posts: 6008 | From: phoenix az | Registered: Mar 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
SeekingFreedom
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And I'm sure he will... [Smile]
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Relentless.
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It's alot easier to have a surplus when you're not paying off a Federal Reserve...
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bdgee
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You are always sure.....seldom right, but always sure.....and always self righteous about it too.
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glassman
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quote:
Originally posted by Relentless.:
It's alot easier to have a surplus when you're not paying off a Federal Reserve...

and we are paying for everything, including about a million a day so that the Sunni's won't fight ....


U.S.-backed Sons of Iraq militia poses problem

Anna Badkhen, Chronicle Foreign Service

Monday, June 2, 2008

Created in 2007, Sons of Iraq is part neighborhood watch, part paramilitary force, loosely affiliated groups consisting of 103,000 members nationwide. They are overwhelmingly Sunni - only about 18,000 Shiites have joined.

The U.S. military pays each member $300 a month to man thousands of checkpoints throughout Iraq. The Americans have credited Sons of Iraq for the waning Sunni insurgency and the decline in sectarian violence in Baghdad.


why do WE pay these guys to police their OWN country?

the Sons of Iraq have organized trash pickup, rebuilt schools, and installed several street generators to augment the unreliable power supply provided by the government.

"Their contributions to the country's current stability cannot be overemphasized," the U.S.-led coalition press center in Baghdad wrote in a recent statement. "Capitalizing on the gains made by the (Sons of Iraq), efforts can now focus on building capacity, revitalizing the economy, and improving the quality of life for the region's residents.


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Relentless.
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Just hard to imagine why our economy is slumping.
Truly awe inspiring that it has lasted this long.

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glassman
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here is why we won't be able to leave Iraq:


“We Were Basically Hiring Terrorists”
Thursday, August 7th, 2008

Salon - Aug. 6, 2008 | BAGHDAD, Iraq

As Iraq becomes safer, the Sons of Iraq are less essential to security. Under a draft plan by U.S. forces and the Iraqi government, 20 percent of the force will be gradually folded into Iraqi security forces, after careful screening and additional training. The rest, Americans say, will be offered basic vocational training, which would allow them to take up such jobs as janitors, secretaries, electricians and plumbers. As of June, approximately 17,000 Sons of Iraq members have joined Iraqi security forces.

But conversations with the Sons of Iraq members and their leaders suggest that the majority of them do not want to do anything that does not involve carrying weapons, traditionally an honorable status in Iraqi society.

“A lot of them would prefer doing that because it gives them power of carrying a weapon and providing security,” said Capt. Emiliano Tellado, a member of the 2-4 Infantry Battalion.

Potentially, 80,000 armed and trained fighters could soon find themselves unemployed, or employed in jobs they do not want — and angry at the American forces and Iraqi government because they didn’t get picked for service in the security forces.


http://rinf.com/alt-news/war-terrorism/we-were-basically-hiring-terrorists/4299/

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Posts: 36378 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

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