Iraq has money in the Bank

[arnaldoabru 11]

88 Billion surplus. So why are we footing the bill?

[BamaGrad03 0]

Because they didn't exactly ask us to show up and drop bombs everywhere.

Now we have to clean it up.

The stability will be well worth the price in the long run.

[Tiger Al 0]

Because they didn't exactly ask us to show up and drop bombs everywhere.

Now we have to clean it up.

The stability will be well worth the price in the long run.

Then why were we initially told that oil revenue would fund the reconstruction?

Testifying in the Senate that same day, Mr. Rumsfeld emphasized that ''when it comes to reconstruction, before we turn to the American taxpayers we will turn first to the resources of the Iraqi government.'' He noted that the war's costs were not knowable, but he also said an important source of money for reconstruction would flow after the United States worked ''with the Iraqi interim authority that will be established to tap Iraq's oil revenues.''

A little over a year ago, Wolfowitz testified on Capitol Hill, "There's a lot of money to pay for this. It doesn't have to be U.S. taxpayer money. We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon." Wolfowitz also told Congress "oil revenues of Iraq could bring between $50 and $100 billion over the course of the next two or three years…We're dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon."

Moreover, Vice President Dick Cheney said in April, on the day Baghdad fell, that Iraq's oil production could hit 3 million barrels a day by the end of the year, even though the task force had determined that Iraq was generating less than 2.4 million barrels a day before the war.

[TexasTiger 13,556]

Because they didn't exactly ask us to show up and drop bombs everywhere.

Now we have to clean it up.

The stability will be well worth the price in the long run.

Then why were we initially told that oil revenue would fund the reconstruction?

Testifying in the Senate that same day, Mr. Rumsfeld emphasized that ''when it comes to reconstruction, before we turn to the American taxpayers we will turn first to the resources of the Iraqi government.'' He noted that the war's costs were not knowable, but he also said an important source of money for reconstruction would flow after the United States worked ''with the Iraqi interim authority that will be established to tap Iraq's oil revenues.''

A little over a year ago, Wolfowitz testified on Capitol Hill, "There's a lot of money to pay for this. It doesn't have to be U.S. taxpayer money. We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon." Wolfowitz also told Congress "oil revenues of Iraq could bring between $50 and $100 billion over the course of the next two or three years…We're dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon."

Moreover, Vice President Dick Cheney said in April, on the day Baghdad fell, that Iraq's oil production could hit 3 million barrels a day by the end of the year, even though the task force had determined that Iraq was generating less than 2.4 million barrels a day before the war.

Iraq has a surplus, we face the largest deficit in our history-- maybe they should be teaching us.

[autigeremt 6,970]

Have you every looked at how much other countries owe us? I have been on this one for years.

One example:

Mexico (1995) Owes us over 100,000,000,000. Mexico

this is just a very small % of how much other countries throughout the world owe to the U.S. for loans and aid.

BIG PICTURE! The U.S. should be getting it's money back from several people, not just Iraq. They ALL need to pony up!

[Tiger Al 0]

Have you every looked at how much other countries owe us? I have been on this one for years.

One example:

Mexico (1995) Owes us over 100,000,000,000. Mexico

this is just a very small % of how much other countries throughout the world owe to the U.S. for loans and aid.

BIG PICTURE! The U.S. should be getting it's money back from several people, not just Iraq. They ALL need to pony up!

Except that Iraq didn't borrow the money. We were told that our services would be paid for by Iraqi oil, not footed by American taxpayers.

[Auburn85 434]

Wow, Iraq has a bank? They have money in it? And you mean to tell me that all the chaos and the civil war isn't putting this money in jeopardy? Oh, yeah, but the surge didn't work.

And here we are fussing about Iraq with a surplus.

You're right, it was said that it would be paid in oil revenues. But the country I thought was in pi** poor condition until recently due to our presence there? or it still could be in pi** poor condition? I haven't heard the official response enough from Pelosi, Reid, and Obama. Obama will get those revenues he surely will. He will be as careful as getting those oil revenues and we were careless about trying to get those revenues before.

But here I'll play the game too of trying to wedge the issue to my liking. What's more important? Getting our troops out of there or getting those oil revenues?

[Tiger Al 0]

Wow, Iraq has a bank? They have money in it? And you mean to tell me that all the chaos and the civil war isn't putting this money in jeopardy? Oh, yeah, but the surge didn't work.

And here we are fussing about Iraq with a surplus.

You're right, it was said that it would be paid in oil revenues. But the country I thought was in pi** poor condition until recently due to our presence there? or it still could be in pi** poor condition? I haven't heard the official response enough from Pelosi, Reid, and Obama. Obama will get those revenues he surely will. He will be as careful as getting those oil revenues and we were careless about trying to get those revenues before.

But here I'll play the game too of trying to wedge the issue to my liking. What's more important? Getting our troops out of there or getting those oil revenues?

Why does it have to be an either/or proposition?

[Auburn85 434]

I suppose there were voices around a few years ago about getting those oil revenues. They seem to be louder today more than ever?

Why can't we have it both ways?