Remember when Iraq reconstruction was only going to cost U S $1.7 billion?

[TomInTib]

Remember this oldie but goodie with ANDREW NATSIOS, the former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), talking with Ted Koppel on Nightline in April 2003

TED KOPPEL
(Off Camera) Well, it's a, I think you'll agree, this is a much bigger project than any that's been talked about. Indeed, I understand that more money is expected to be spent on this than was spent on the entire Marshall Plan for the rebuilding of Europe after World War II.

ANDREW NATSIOS
No, no. This doesn't even compare remotely with the size of the Marshall Plan.

TED KOPPEL
(Off Camera) The Marshall Plan was $97 billion.

ANDREW NATSIOS
This is 1.7 billion.

TED KOPPEL
(Off Camera) All right, this is the first. I mean, when you talk about 1.7, you're not suggesting that the rebuilding of Iraq is gonna be done for $1.7 billion?

ANDREW NATSIOS
Well, in terms of the American taxpayers contribution, I do, this is it for the US. The rest of the rebuilding of Iraq will be done by other countries who have already made pledges, Britain, Germany, Norway, Japan, Canada, and Iraqi oil revenues, eventually in several years, when it's up and running and there's a new government that's been democratically elected, will finish the job with their own revenues. They're going to get in $20 billion a year in oil revenues. But the American part of this will be 1.7 billion. We have no plans for any further-on funding for this. <...>

http://connecticutblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/17-billion.html

[MadMaddie]

1. Funny all the people that made the initial predications are gone...

aren't they...?

[QuestionAll...]

8. let's start a list of some of the PNAC goners...

I'll start with:
Wolfowitz - now in charge of the biggest ATM machine on the planet

[laura888]

2. Please forgive my ignorance...

...what is the current $ total?

[TomInTib]

3. $300,440,440,301 as of yesterday (read down)

To put this figure of $300,440,440,301 in perspective:

We could have provided 14,564,700+ students four-year scholarships at public universities.

We could have paid for 39,793,500+ children to attend a year of Head Start.

We could have insured 179,905,200+ children for one year.

We could have built 2,705,100+ additional public housing units.

We could have hired 5,206,600+ additional public school teachers for one year.

[jeff30997]

4. Excuse me but I have to puke...

[MadMaddie]

10. Don't forget we could have had an amazing Gulf Coast

reconstruction....

[barb162]

5. Wolfowicz said it would cost nothing to us as oil would pay

for anything we spent. Haha on us, huh? I remember him smirking when he said it. SO instead of Bush firing him, Bush makes him head of the World Bank

[TomInTib]

6. Of course he's head of World Bank. Who else is more qualified?

Obviously, the man has an actuarial mind.

[1620rock]

7. Whats money to * ?..just goddamn pieces of green paper.

[seriousstan]

9. I remember when the "Big Dig" would cost $2.5 billion, not $20 billion.

And was going to be safe to use. But that is an unfair comparison, I mean the bigdig is so much larger of a project. An entire single freeway underground. Who can put a price on that?