U.S.: Iraq on own to rebuild (reconstruction "a dismal failure")

[Barrett808]

U.S.: Iraq on own to rebuild
By Thomas Frank, USA TODAY
Fri Mar 24, 6:43 AM ET

The head of the U.S.-led program to rebuild Iraq said Thursday that the Iraqi government can no longer count on U.S. funds and must rely on its own revenues and other foreign aid, particularly from Gulf nations.

"The Iraqi government needs to build up its capability to do its own capital budget investment," Daniel Speckhard, director of the U.S. Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, told reporters.

The burden of funding reconstruction poses an extraordinary challenge for a country that needs tens of billions of dollars for repairing its infrastructure at the same time it's struggling to pay its bills. Iraq's main revenue source - oil - is hampered by insurgent attacks on production facilities and pipelines, forcing the country to spend $6 billion a year on oil imports.

Iraq's deputy finance minister, Kamal Field al-Basri, said it was "reasonable" for the United States to sharply cut back its reconstruction efforts after spending about $21 billion. "We should be very much dependent on ourselves," al-Basri said in an interview.

Anthony Cordesman, a Middle East expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, called the U.S. reconstruction effort "a dismal failure. It hasn't met any of its goals. It's left a legacy of half-built projects, built to U.S. standards, which Iraq doesn't have the capability to maintain."

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060324/ts_usatoday/usiraqonowntorebuild

So that's the end of the Bush adventure in Iraq. We're leaving a failed state of our own making with a $100 billion bill for rebuilding itself after we destroyed it. There's "compassionate conservatism" for you.

[gratuitous]

1. We smashed it, you pay for it

A little-known codicil to the Bush Doctrine.

[Nite Owl]

2. So there goes the we broke it

we fix it argument. Many, even a lot of liberals, use this as the reason we have to stay there, that we can't leave the country in disarray that was caused by our mistakes. What reason do have to stay now?

[Betsy Ross]

3. Isn't that what we did in Afghanistan too?

But on the other hand, maybe it will force us out sooner. Either way, the Iraqi's lose.

[Marie26]

4. After completely looting the Iraqi Development Fund

that was supposed to pay for reconstruction, we tell Iraqis that they're on their own. We're winning Iraqi hearts & minds once more.

[Mikimouse]

5. The administration is finally showing its true colors...

I look forward to the time that the US is no longer allowed within the Iraqi borders, their oil revenues are based on the Euro, and the rest of the middle east in a state of cooperation with each other. The fact is this: The US had to learn, just as does any errant child, that there must be boundaries to behavior.

[MadMaddie]

7. So true...My Grandmother who is 83 has a saying...

"A hard head makes a soft butt"!!!!

Hard Head....
This administrations obvious failure to plan after the initial take over of Iraq, their inability to audit and track the monies spent....and now blaming everyone else for the screwups....I would need a day to list everything....

Soft Butt...
Billions of Tax Payer dollars thrown away....
An Unstable Iraq
The World despises America
A weak America.....
Money Wasted on Iraq could have been used to help in the rebirth of the Gulf Coast...


The list goes on...

[schmuls]

6. I ask once again, what happened to the milliions - or was the trillions-

that have gone missing from the reconstruction fund???!!! I can't believe no one is even talking about this anymore. F--K!

[ronnie624]

11. It was at least 9 billion

in addition to an unaccountable amount of oil shipped out un-metered (and no telling what else has been pillaged). One wonders where the revenue is to come from when the entire country lies raped, plundered and destroyed.

"I can't believe no one is even talking about this anymore."

After reading the article detailing the idiotic e-mails wondering why the news media were not reporting the "good news" in Iraq I can readily believe no one is talking about it.

[oblivious]

13. How about 23 billion of IRAQ'S money stolen by the US

At the beginning of the Iraq war, the UN entrusted $23bn of Iraqi money to the US-led coalition to redevelop the country.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1734939,00.html

[ronnie624]

14. Thank you for the article.

I printed it a few days ago but gave it to a friend before reading it.
A Very interesting item.

[ninkasi]

8. Classic Bush venture

Screw a whole country up, just like he did his business ventures, then walk away, leaving somebody else to clean up the mess. It's what he has done his whole life, this is just on a global scale.

[young_at_heart]

10. Has he ever had ANY success?

From what I've read, his entire life has followed a pattern of impulsiveness followed by failure or being bailed out by family connections.

[The Roux Comes First]

16. Should be the Bush family signature, actually:

CIA-bush was equipped with so many equally-corrupt pals and abundant leverage based on decades of shared law-breaking and war profiteering that few of his actions will probably ever be properly and honestly revealed. We can see what his off-swine has done a little more clearly, having learned part of what Dad Did but with even more egomania, no pre-White House achievements whatsoever, and one more generation of never being accountable.

I'm thinking it is time to start brainstorming on an appropriate moniker for these folks, beyond the obvious. It might include "greasy" for their oil connections. Certainly crime is one of the more common family hand-me-downs. War-profiteering too. Elitism. Lack of accountability.

How to capture this in some pithy phrase?

No, "assholes" and the obvious like don't meet the contest requirements! Creativity, alliteration, and the like needed. We need to keep finding new slogans that will work well on bumpers and at election time.

[radfringe]

21. you got it!

and when he leaves the oval orafice - whoever comes in after is going to need a big shovel to clean up the "sh*t" he's left behind...

[specimenfred1984]

9. Looting was the Goal From Day 1

Looting Iraq and looting the U.S. Treasury. The whole idea that repukelicons ever cared about the Iraqi people is so far fetched that only the dumbest most nieve and/or brainwashed people ever believed it to begin with.

[ConcernedCanuk]

12. USA is too busy building itself Military Bases in Iraq, feck rebuilding

.
.
.

Priorities, ya know . .

(sigh)

[LynnTheDem]

15. And so many Americans wonder why the world dislikes us...

Not a wonder at all.

[HuffleClaw]

17. an utter disgrace

particularly when one considers how bushco. always tries to talk about 'the good' done in iraq. "Iraq's deputy finance minister, Kamal Field al-Basri, said it was "reasonable" for the United States to sharply cut back its reconstruction efforts after spending about $21 billion. "We should be very much dependent on ourselves," al-Basri said in an interview." despite what this SHILL says, most of that $21 billion of which he speaks was spent on 'security' and the rest spent on half measures.

[stickdog]

18. From the Marshall Plan to the Not Even Partial Plan.

Just more good news from Iraq!

We made the mess, now you clean it up!

[highnooner]

19. Like every other Bush venture,

He bankrupted it.

[malaise]

20. So who bombed all those bridges

and all the infrastructure? Who invaded Iraq and violated international law? To the Hague.

[Autobot77]

22. So repukes are lying when they go on about schools being built

When they complain about the media covering the bad things going on in Iraq.The repukes will claim that all these schools and bridges etc are being rebuilt..but thy're full of it as usual. Surprise, Surprise.

[DoYouEverWonder]

23. "Forcing the country to spend $6 billion a year on oil imports."

WTF?

Unbelievable.

[many a good man]

24. Another violation of international law

Is our presence in Iraq now technically a war, an occupation, or peacekeeping?

Occupation forces have the legal obligation to ensure the safety and health of the population.