Real REAL Bad Stuff Going On in Iraq

[babylonsister]

There are lots of imbedded links in this story to dig deeper into it...
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2008/3/11/14027/8322


Real REAL Bad Stuff Going On in Iraq

by clammyc
Tue Mar 11th, 2008 at 02:00:27 PM EST


So it has pretty much been adopted by many of those who still deny reality that the “decrease in violence” is the proof that the ill fated escalation worked. And it is also evident that John W. McCain has been a chief proponent and certainly the main beneficiary of this absolutely over simplistic and erroneous line of thinking.

But, buried in the hullabaloo of the latest Democrat to be in the cross hairs (due in large part to his own actions), as well as the obsession over the Clinton/Obama tit-for-tat is some news from Iraq that really does not bode well. I offer a bit of analysis, but more in the way of information as to the situation on the ground.

Let’s start with a a new estimate that pegs the cost of this ongoing debacle at $12 BILLION per month in 2008. A conservative estimate by the CBO pegs the cost for Iraq alone at $1 trillion - $1.2 trillion by 2017. I’ll also note that John W. McSame has no intention of getting the troops out of Iraq – rather he is very much in favor of “more wars” (with what troops, popular support and money, I have no idea).

Another trend in Iraq is the continued violence that, despite the ongoing violence and the fact that US troop deaths have been at the same daily rate since January 1, 2005 apparently doesn’t exist according to the “surge believers” like John “four more wars” McSame. Iraqi security force and civilian deaths are on pace for the largest number of deaths since last August.

Oh, but this is a mere blip, right? After all, it is a violent area, except for the fact that there is the general thought that there is no more real violence. Well, not so fast.

I take this with a grain of salt, but there is now a warning that al Qaeda is spreading in Iraq, and may be planning larger scale attacks in the country. And who would have thought that when we armed the Sunni insurgents to fight against al Qaeda that they wouldn’t do the job for us? Of course, when you only know how to outsource the hunt for al Qaeda (among pretty much everything else), you don’t always get the results you were hoping for.

But there is always hope, right?

more...

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2008/3/11/14027/8322

[msongs]

1. for $12 Billion/month we could PAY all Iraqis to stay home/behave themselves with $$$ left over

why has nobody in congress proposed this?

Msongs

[Demeter]

2. Bush Actually Does This With Some Iraqi Groups

But then, he'd have to bring our troops home, and Iran is up for invasion next week....

[babylonsister]

3. GAO Comptroller: ‘Significant’ Amount Of U.S. Funds For Iraq Funneled To Sunni And Shiite Militias

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/03/11/gao-iraq/

GAO Comptroller: ‘Significant’ Amount Of U.S. Funds For Iraq Funneled To Sunni And Shiite Militias

During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing today on waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq, GAO Comptroller David Walker said that “the Iraqis have a budget surplus” which “is not being spent.” He added that oil “revenues are going up” and therefore “one of the questions” regarding Iraq reconstruction is “who should be paying?”

Citing Iraq’s rising oil revenues and the fact that the U.S. has already spent $45 billion rebuilding the country, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said that instead of President Bush “asking for billions” more to rebuild Iraq, the Iraqis “ought to be able to use some of their oil to pay for their own costs and not keep sending the bill to the United States.”

Meanwhile, U.S. tax money is ending up in the hands of sectarian militias in Iraq. Later in the same hearing, Walker confirmed that a “significant” amount of what the U.S. spends on Iraqi contracts is being diverted to Sunni and Shiite militias. Stuart Bowen, special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, agreed, adding that “it is a significant problem.”

Watch it at link~

Bottom line: We’re fighting them spending money over there so we don’t have to fight them spend money here at home.

[donheld]

4. 12 billion a year, god have mercy!

[formercia]

5. 12 Billion a Month.

Ugh!

that's $480. per Month for every Iraqi.

[donheld]

6. God I must have been really tired. Yes a month is right.