Americans pay and pay, while Bush punishes France and Ger-ma-nay.

[The Lone Liberal]

So France, Russia, Canada and Germany are out in the cold because they didn’t support the Bush policy on Iraq. No contract for them, all of the contracts will go to “colition of the willing." Lets look at the list:

Afghanistan,
Albania,
Australia,
Azerbaijan,
Bulgaria,
Colombia,
the Czech Republic,
Denmark,
El Salvador,
Eritrea,
Estonia,
Ethiopia,
Georgia,
Hungary,
Italy,
Japan,
South Korea,
Latvia,
Lithuania,
Macedonia,
the Netherlands,
Nicaragua,
the Philippines,
Poland,
Romania,
Slovakia,
Spain,
Turkey,
United Kingdom
and Uzbekistan.

If you review the list you quickly come to the conclusion that most of these countries are not going to be in any shape or have discretionary funds with which to help us rebuild Iraq (Where to hell is Eritrea?), so the bottom -line is not only are we going to put up the blood, we are also going to put up the money and since Bush is determined to do this on a credit card rather than being financially responsible, guess what, the kids of those who fought and died will be the ones who have to pay. So the Americans pay and pay, while Bush punishes France and Ger-ma-nay.

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. What galls me (and probably France and Ger-ma-nay as well)

is that at the same time these countries are being denied a chance at bidding on contracts, the old Bush family fixer James Baker is being sent on a mission to beg the leaders of these nations to forgive Iraqi debt. Thus, it is a double insult.

Eritrea is in the horn of Africa, I believe.

[teryang]

2. This is a lot of window dressing

The overwhelming majority of these countries have little or no bargaining power with the American regime. The only possible exceptions are the UK and Japan. Japan doesn't have much leverage at all. The UK is in it for the old Rhodesian motives.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Please elucidate on your points?

Where is the original poster incorrect?

[JohnKleeb]

5. Sigh Slovakia

Homeland of my grandmother's family, its ok though because I bet the Slovak people thought it was wrong.

[Kremer]

6. And they say dems have no foreign policy experience. Uh, well yeah

dems don't have foreign policy experience with policies like this that are "foreign" to a normal human brain. I never understand what anyone ever gets out of being petty. I mean, did they all go home and just pea their pants b/c "oh man, did we get France or what?" Okay and? Does that make you feel good or what? While their thinking they "slam-dunked" Germany, France, etc., the joke is one them b/c it only comes back to hurt US and our boys/ladies in Iraq. We need to point this out for 2004. This clowns petty score w/ France and the EU and others, IS PUTTING OUR SOLDIERS AT RISK! Bush's war. Bush's war. How many kids has he killed so far? Remember this and say it often to repugs!!!

[Ardee]

7. well,ignoring the self inflated boor

and getting back to the topic......

Bush the uniter was a campaign slogan ,one that now seems more likely a rather unfunny joke at our expense. In the face of the fraud uncovered by the GAO ,fraud that Halliburton considers business as usual,and the timing of this exclusionary statement, coming so close to the request that these now excluded nations forgive Iraqi debt, we see, plain as day, the utter incompetence of this administration.

There is already a bit of backtracking going on with the word coming down that ,while companies fromt he excluded nations will not be able to bid on primary contracts they will be eligible for secondary ones, under the aegis of the winning bidders.

[BonjourUSA]

8. Keep cool.

This affair is very funny.

In the world, how many companies have the financial, technological and logistical capabilities for rebuilding Iraq ?

In Europe for example, all the companies with these capabilities are with French or German leadership or with the first capital participation.

And even whether they have these capabilities, no one of them would take risk to sign a contract alone out of a consortium.

[HereSince1628]

9. Anyone remember Poppa Bush told Jr., "Don't hold grudges" ?

Someone with a Nexus account could find out what the exact wording of that was. But I recall in the very early days of the Bush Administration some reporter asked Pappa Bush what advice he would give lil Georgie...and the advice which seemed to be based on a father's knowledge of his sone was to the effect--dont hold grudges.

[drscm]

11. It would be impossible for *Georgie not to hold a grudge.

A common characteristic of addicts is that they demand loyalty above all else. We have to forgive them for their faults, but if you cross their path they will never forgive you.

If I were the leader of Canada, I would pull my troops out of Afghanistan immediately. There is no reason why I would want my nation's sons and daughters to continue dying to protect the interest of the current emirate running the U.S.

[kalian]

10. Let's take a look at the so-called "coalition of the willing"...

The name itself raises eyebrows IMHO..."willing" to do what, or submit
to what?

Afghanistan --> invaded and conquered country
Albania --> former dictatorship..nothing to aport.
Australia --> bad PM is all, he goes, they go from the coalition
Azerbaijan --> another obscure former dictatorship
Bulgaria --> gee...ahem...
Colombia --> little guys with plenty of coca
the Czech Republic --> surprised at this one
Denmark --> the Danes...poor little guys...
El Salvador --> from where the shipped the weapons to the Contras...
Eritrea --> too funny...they've been at war with Ethiopia...
Estonia --> sad...just sad...
Ethiopia --> too funny...they've been at war with Eritrea...
Georgia --> we all know what happened there recently...US-sponsored coup
Hungary --> just like Bulgaria...gee...
Italy --> fascist PM...need I say more?
Japan --> right-wing PM...need I say more...?
South Korea --> gee...
Latvia --> another sad case.
Lithuania --> and another...
Macedonia --> oh please...
the Netherlands --> sigh...
Nicaragua --> once the Contras "won"...well, you know...
the Philippines --> no surprises here...
Poland --> pathetic. And I, as a Polish descendant am ashamed that my grandfather's home country is supporting shrub.
Romania --> similar feelings as Poland
Slovakia --> just like the Czech republic
Spain --> why are they willing...?
Turkey --> they've got no choice and besides, they want to "prove"
themselves to the West...yet again...
United Kingdom --> wrong PM...once he's out, they're out of this
"coalition"
and Uzbekistan ---> gee...an autocratic regime...and oil...and
military bases near the combat zone...hmmm...

[pansypoo53219]

12. not only are the bushivics

raping and pillaging IWaq, they are doing it to ameruca.