NY Times: For Iraqis in Harm's Way, $5,000 and 'I'm Sorry'

[La_Serpiente]

For Iraqis in Harm's Way, $5,000 and 'I'm Sorry'

AGHDAD, Iraq, March 16 — Nearly a year ago, Ali Kadem Hashem watched his wife burn to death and his three children die after an American missile hit his house.

Last week, he got $5,000 from the United States government and an "I'm sorry" from a young captain.

Mr. Hashem sat for a few moments staring at the stack of bills, crisp $100's.

"Part of me didn't want to take it," he said. "It was an insult."

But the captain, Jonathan Tracy, insisted. "A few thousand dollars isn't going to bring anybody back," he explained later. "But right now, it's all we can do."

more...

For Iraqis in Harm's Way, $5,000 and 'I'm Sorry'

Free Registration Required

[Bandit]

1. staring at the stack of bills, crisp $100's.

GOP believes money means everything. It is obvious they would sell their grandmother for some crisp $100's. I have not read anything here more insulting than this blurb. These people are the sickest creatures on earth. A wife and three children is worth five thousand in crisp $100's. I feel sick.

[papau]

2. Wife =2k, kids=1k? or is it wife = 1k, kids = 1.33k? - formula disclosure?

Is there a gruesome death factor?

or a "we really were more at fault than usual" factor?

or a "the budget post tax cut for the rich only allows this percentage of usual payout" factor?

Is there a flat coffin fee - or a preacher fee?

Do we cover pre-death medical expense?

This fellow had some house damage - was that covered at some percentage of replacement cost?

Do arms and legs and missing face get lump sums per body part?

After we rebuild a kid, I see that we get photo rights to go with story rights to show how nice we are, so was a fee paid for this story?