Report: Is Iraq Pulling its Weight?

Ask Obama if they are pulling their weight.

Better yet, ask McCain if this is the surge he was talking about? A surge of money into Iraqie pockets.

I say let’s send Iraq our bill for services rendered.

If Iraq has surplus it is reasonable then that they should be funding their country’s reconstruction efforts. I am a republican that supports the US being in Iraq until they can stand on their own. No time table…but this is encouraging to see that Iraq, even with its battered infrastructure, has a surplus available for its rebuilding. Let’s get to it and maybe by doing so get the American economy going too!

Why are we, the USA citizens, supporting Iraq. Our government needs to be brought to the table and answer WHY! Our government cannot win the world powers with our money – this needs to stop.

Why are we, the USA citizens, supporting Iraq. Our government needs to be brought to the table and answer WHY! Our government cannot win the world powers with our money – this needs to stop.

So how do we get all those billion sback that we gave to American contractors who completely ripped us off…
Iraq has money, the contractors have money, the oil companies have broken profit records, but the real American people are being fist —ked in the u know what.

I’m not an Obama fan, but I’m confused as to why people are acting as if somehow he’s responsible for this. The current administration should be billing Iraq for any monies we put into the reconstruction or working something out for reduced cost of oil exports, etc. That our deficit is at an all time high (thanks to the CURRENT ADMINSITRATION) and they have a huge surplus is just a ridiculous situation.

He failed in business. His DADY was threatend. He was angry and Chaney HELPED. we get what we get. Wake up people….

If you guys will recall we were told in the beginning they would pay us some of this back.

It is sad that Iraq has this surplus but their country has such high unemployment. Surely they should be spending some of this surplus to create jobs, as well as improve their military’s pay to individual soldiers as they do their dangerous job.
As for them to assume the expense of reconstruction, that wouldn’t be fair. We broke it, we invaded their country, it is our bill to pay for everything we blew up.
The big problem I see is we’ve spent billions on reconstruction but see little results. Too much money is unaccounted for, we didn’t hire local labor but let Halliburton and other companies over-charge us for their services. As in the recent example in the news of the deaths and injuries from faulty electrical installations at our bases in Iraq, we are paying too much for too little.

The Republicans understand economics! That’s why they have presided over the greatest transfer of US wealth in history to oil producers and China. That’s why US assets are cheap, the dollar cheaper and our grandchildren wage slaves of the foreign owners.

Ask McCain. He wants to continue this farce. Neocons wasted American lives and resources on the Iraq War and there has been very, very little return. It is the paramount case of WASTE, FRAUD and ABUSE in our entire history.

“Do you think that America will ever learn”???”
LOL
No. It never has. As long as people in this country think the world has to be what “America” defines it should be, we’ll make the same mistakes over and over and over. Until, of course, we can’t pay for it anymore.
Maybe that time is shortly coming?

Howie, I guess the Democrats must “know economic” too. Instead of allowing drilling offshore to keep from having to depend on Iraqi oil, they want to make sure we STAY dependent for fear of “global warming”. If Americans drill, they cause global warming. When Iraqi’s drill, they don’t.

I remember GWB saying that the war would be funded with oil revenues from Iraq. I have yet to see this, so I guess it was just to get us to be ok with spending our money on bombing the heck out of Iraq. I just wonder when we will start getting our rebate checks from Iraq.

Didn’t Bush say the Iraqis would pay for the entire war with oil revenue? Looks like they not only need to step up and fully take responsibility for their own security they also need to pay us what they owe.

It is a shame that ABC continues to misrepresent the actual events in the War on Terror.

Remember when Bush and his cronies told us that Iraqi oil revenues would pay for the country’s reconstruction? Another scam perpetrated on the American people by Bush’s GOP!

Its bout time people have noticed this…its been goin on for 20+ yrs and only the poor common ppl noticed it…now the rich guys in congress who have been fillin their pockets r starting to feel it and now theyre gonna gripe! well on behalf of the lil ppl in the u.s. boo hoo mr money bags congressman!!

wasn’t one of the lies the Bush administration told the American people was that Iraqi oil revenues would pay for the war and reconstruction? What is going on here? Why is the Bush administration allowing the American people to be fleeced?

Sandra – “If you guys will recall we were told in the beginning they would pay us some of this back.” – Yes, right after we found the WMD’s and were greeted with open arms by the population. Couple of things didn’t quite go as planned.

Hey Iraq! How about selling the usa oil at a cheaper price? How about at the same price we were paying you 8 yrs ago.It’s only fair. The USA gave you a better place to live and got rid of Saddam,seems you owe the USA.

ivan123 – Drilling for oil will not make us less dependent since it is likely to produce 2 percent or less of this country’s growing demand. Oil is a finite resource and would be consumed. Eventually and we’d be back to square one. We will need oil for many things i.e. plastics etc. but we need to dramatically shift to alternatives like solar, wind, fuel cells …and we need to conserve oil-based use by developing more fuel efficient technologies. This is neither a Democratic or Republican problem. It is THE national problem that underlies our economy, security…and our environment.

If I recall, when the justified the war in 2003, they said Iraq oil was supposed to pay for the whole reconstruction. Now they sit on nest oil nest egg and we get drained…through Halliburton. Sounds like someone had a hidden agenda.

William, william – Do you know how much haliburton and KBR ahve and continue to profit from the Iraq debacle? Oops, I thought not. It’s a good thing there are som any mindless followers in America or McCain wouldn’t stand a chance.

This is the “Pottery Barn”, you break it you bought it.
So sympathy for an invasion that should never have happened to begin with…the great American Whiners!
Next time think before you act!

Why are we supporting Iraq? Well! because we brock it unless we were invited.

GOD BLESS GEORGE F. BUSH!

Somebody tell Iraq we want that fifty billion dollars back. That’s OUR money!!!

“Shambles?” Talk to Jimmy Carter about “Shambles” he would qualify as an expert on the matter. Can you guys tell the truth? I know it’s illusive but try. Try telling us true stories with real true facts. Truth – not “Shambles.”

indy voter: “And McCain wants to keep us there for another 100 years?”
Indy, McCain never said that. And if you’ve seen a video of him saying that, it wasn’t what he meant. And even if it was what he meant, he doesn’t speak for the campaign.

“The Iraqi government now has tens of billions of dollars at its disposal to fund large scale reconstruction projects……………
WELL you see Iraq’s New government
herd tell that the world was running out of Oil …. SO as they see it ….
The must start Building NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS……. LOL.. Yes indeed .. I guess they are on the phone to Russia Putting in a Order for a dozen or So…
They like to call it the Iran .. MODEL…LOL.. think about it…
have a NICE DAY….. McBuch Rules not

Those that blame Obama are just ignorant. I don’t just blame the bush administration, I also blame the idiots who voted for him, they never got a clue after 4 yrs of his mess. I am not a fan of Obama but I know where the blame lies and I will not push it to someone else because of some racist hatred.

I’m sure that some reperations will be haggled over and compromised upon and debated over with the Iraq’s gevernment. I’d like to know why the new Iraq Denar is not even worth a penny
and the Kuwaite Denar is at $3.75. There isn’t even any oil to drill there.

Paul:
McCain has lied on every one of his ads concerning Barack Obama. And you still believe McCain! How ironic!

This is all Bush fault.

That’s a lot of money! That would never happen here. Congress would have already spent the money before they found out there was a surplus. ayayay.

Is this not a sign of the success of our mission,though?

Dave, Dave do you have any exact amount of kick backs the President and VP have received? Opps< I thought not.

It should not be a wonder to anyone why Iraq is not just handing over this money to us, as if they somehow now owe us. WE invaded their soveirgn country, WE meddled in their affairs, WE were the catalysts to the upturn in violence that killed thousands of their citizens, injured tens of thousands, and displaced hundreds of thousands. So no one should be surprised in the least that they arent scrambling to throw this money our way. They have a $50 billion surplus but their country, culture and people are decimated. This isnt to discount in the least the price in American blood and maimings that have occured, but the Iraqis were fine before we got there and they wouldve continued to be fine and work out their problems in their own way in their own time. The Iraq war was a setup.

US Economy in “shambles”. What a joke.
when we are giving away trillions
of dollars to Iraq and the Mighty
war effort, All Hail the Mighty G.W. Bush
and his Clone in Waiting…

NO!!

Isn’t the road to hell paved with good intentions? So far I haven’t seen it fail that when someone with their own perceived good intention sticks their nose in gets it cut off. From what I recall the good intention was to rescue a country from an evil dictator with WMD. Turns out he had to rule these nut cases with an iron hand. My hopes of Iraq appreciating or preserving what they now have over the long haul is really low. And I doubt they have any desire to compensate us for any of our personal sacrific for them.

So why does McSame want to keep sending our tax dollars to Iraq?

Seek out each and every environmentalist that you know. Bake them a plate of cookies or take them a bouquet of roses and THANK THEM for placing our country in this position. Regardless of whether or not you feel the oil people are making “excessive” profits, most of the billions being spent on oil could be spent right here in the U.S.A. Then it would flow into OUR economy instead of giving other countries the abilities to blow up OUR buildings. This whole article explains the TRUE costs of “saving” the spotted owl, old growth forests and the snail darter. I think maybe the REAL reason some militants would like to bomb some countries back into the “stone age” is that the “Tree Huggers” are slowly trying to push US back there!

This saddens me deeply. Most families I know are struugling so much that depression often sets in. We can’t afford gas, food or medical care. People are losing their homes and kids are finding it difficult to go to school. There is absolutely no reason in the world why we pay one cent to Iraq. Doesn’t anyone see the ignorance in this? Our government, which includes Obama and McCain don’t give a rip about you and I. We need to demand action and action now on stopping all forms of financial aid to Iraq. They have billions in their banks from oil and other resources(the U.S.) and we have to decide if we can really afford the gas it takes us to get to the grocery store.

You need to help rebuild IRAQ at what ever the cost, you killed thousands of their women and cildren, America you owe them big time. As far i I can see no ammount of money will bring back the children that you have killed there. After reading your letters the majority of you only care about yourselves, that is so greedy, self-centred and selfish, that is just so American. Hang your heads in shame.

See what will happen in a few months (conveniently) is that the money will disappear and nobody knows what happened to it. Just like the 10 billion that disappeared in Iraq. War is all about money, making it, stealing, profitting from it. People die and a select few profit big time.

Great comments but theres no one on this post that can do anything about it. Go ahead, stop paying taxes and let me know how you make out.

Dave From Down Undere – there are too many people on the planet anyway. A few dead kids don’t matter one way or another. Learn your place or you and your kids might be next. We Americans don’t care what you foreigners think – which is why we will never elect that fool Obama!

Republicans are turning America into a third wold backwater banana republic!

The reason people voted for Bush in 2000 was because of Gore the Bore – the guy that invented the internet. He as now become the purveyor of Global Warming even though he uses more than a small city of energy. Then in 2004 we have flip flopper Kerry, the guy that joined the Army in vietnam then spoke out against it after he got out and called many of his fellow soldiers murders. That rubbed people the wrong way. So it was the lesser of two evils in each election. The same can be attributed to the next election, neither is the darling of the general public. Both make promises they will not keep but they spit them out to everyone that listens. So name your poison when you vote next time and complain later.

Where has the GAO been under the Bush administration?

Has Obama recommended a profits tax on Iraq yet?

Much as we criticize Bush for going to Iraq, he gave those ingrates hope to live again after Saddam even if he lied to go to that war. The least Iraq government can do is to show gratitude. America deserves praise than criticism for boldly ruffling the middle east. In my opinion, it may have been worse after september 11 if the war was not taken back to the middle east. Leave Bush alone. I will vote him again and again. He is a good man

J78B, Bush and Cheney don’t lack souls….Cheney lacks a heart and Bush lacks a brain.

Democrats under the leadership of Barack Obama want to treat the American people just like the Iraqi government treats its people. Iraq has been reported to be sitting on 50 to 80 billion in oil revenues. The money is just sitting in their banks. Iraq is pumping 2.5 million barrels a day. At 120 dollars a barrel that is $300 million dollars a day. The total population of Iraq is 20 million. If the government funneled that $300 million dollars a day in oil revenue directly to the Iraqi people then every person in Iraq would get a daily $15 check and a family of four could receive $60 a day without walking out the door. If each Iraqi family received that kind of money the war and insurgency would be over tomorrow. Al Queda and other foreign extremists in the country could not receive the checks because they would not be able to document that they are native Iraqi citizens.
Similarly, Democrats and Barack Obama want to treat American citizens the same way the Iraqi government is treating its people. There is 2.7 billion acres of offshore land that is currently unavailable for drilling due to the leadership of Democrats and Barack Obama. If this acreage were divided up, each adult American citizen would be entitled to twelve acres.
Under this proposal, every adult in the US would be entitled to 12.8 acres of mineral rights to offshore production. A lottery could be set up to randomly assign 12.8 acres to every American. You may end up with mineral rights to acreage south of Canada’s Hibernia offshore project 300 miles south of Newfoundland that is producing 50,000 barrels a day from only one well. The resulting lottery would create ten of thousands of instant American millionaires whose acreage abuts known contiguous offshore oil fields. A market to buy and sell acreage rights could be created which would put money into the pockets of those who acreage contains unknown oil potential. Turning over the acreage to ordinary Americans to collect leasing revenues and royalty rights will empower Americans and stimulate the economy. We do not need the Minerals Management Service of the Department of Interior and Nancy Pelosi to argue over the next four years which tracts of land should be leased and have that money end up going into the General Treasury. Its your money and you can get it now when you sell the rights to drill for oil and collect your royalties for the next twenty years.
Give the land to every American and they can expeditiously see to the leasing of the land. Mercedes Benz limousine liberals and wacko environmentalists can finally keep their mouths shut and instead use their own fat checkbooks to buy up acreage and prevent development if they choose with the acreage they buy from ordinary Americans. Let Barack Obama and the Democrats tell the American people that they are better trustees of the offshore land with limited or no development and that each American is not entitled and should not profit from their 12.8 acres of offshore land.
Leasing and royalty payments are not insignifcant even for small acreage. An example is east of Fort Worth Texas where natural gas drilling companies are paying 25 percent royalties and $3000 leasing payments to owners of quarter acre homes for natural gas drilling rights under their homes

This is the same government you want taken over your health care.

Does anybody out there really believe that the U.S. government has your best interest at heart. You all have no more control over what your own government is doing. Really think about it and DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT NOW!!

Look at History. The Great Powers of History always collapse because of bankruptcy caused by a large standing army. It is impossible to support millions of military on no income. We will become a 3rd world country if we keep this up now in Afghanistan. It is only ego gratification to go bankrupt in Afghanistan. I call it stupid. Let us end all wars. keep the money and build up our own country.
We should be spending the money on Education and Infrastructure and Research on Energy Savings.
Spending money on a deserted mountain top in Afghanistan is stupid.

Anyone who still supports the Bush administration defies logic.

hmmmm. No mention here of the recently signed 6 billion dollar Boeing aircraft order by Iraq in addition to other items being gobbled up from American Companies.
It is a drop in the bucket to what we have spent there but a good start.

Arthur D. and David W. you are both very intelligent people and see through the BS the politcians are feeding us. Why do these elected politicians seem to think they know what’s best for the rest of us? What arrogance they all exibit. When I watch these people speak on the news they are such practiced liars and seem so convincing to me. They make you want to believe in them but, their actions speak volumes as to what their true intentions are.

George Idiot Boy and the rest of America can keep paying. You started this madness, you can pay for it.

Americans are losing there homes. While Bush is taking his oil money and building him a brand new estate right here in Dallas, TX.
This was planned, both Bush and Cheney have millions in oil revenue. Why do you think we abandoned the fight in Afgahnstian to start a war in Iraq, Black Gold folks, Texas T. Come November 4th ask yourselves are we in better shape today than we were 8 years ago, If you answer truthfully the answer will be no.
Obama may not be able to do much to fix the mess Bush created, but i have more faith in him and the Dems, than Mr. Bush is on the right track Cheney.
No More Republicans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spend it over there
So you don’t have to spend it here

this is what the GOP has brought us – a ruined economy and a costly stalemate in the middle east that makes Iraq rich and the rest of us broke. and McCain thinks he deserves to be rewarded with the White House? The hell with that!

What irrates me as much is the fact that you guys didn’t make this headline news tonight. You stuck it on your website where most people don’t look because they infact choose to listen to the news rather than read it. This should have been on every station out there, local and national.

Yes, Pogo, the whole lot of that pond scum you just mentioned should be sued. They certainly didn’t have Americas best interest in mind when it came to the decision to invade Iraq or the Iraqis interest either. The only thing they were interested in is MONEY, how to get filthy rich no matter how much blood gets spilled and how much they can steal from us taxpayers. Personally, I also think these traitors belong in prison and sued for the billions they stole. But, no, I doubt that will happen. Like you said, they’ll retire to their new ranches. They’ll go unscathed, while the rest of us try to dig out from the utter mess they created.

What ever happens in this world due to your governments actions it affests the whole world so there fore i can put my 2cents worth in David Wilson. Your idiotic leader lead our previous idiotic leader Little Johnny Howard into a false war, for what? WMD? Human rights? Profits and spoils of war?

It is hard to belive that we live in such a great county as the United States and yet we cannot take care of our own. Our government is so fast to hand out money to another country, or send our children to war for another country and yet we suffer. We are over taxed, under paid, gass and utility prices out the roof, elderly having to go to local food banks in order to eat. This is why we need to govern the politicians that we elect. If they do not act for us, then we should stand firm and let them know. We are the only ones that can make a change in this country, not the politicians. No president will ever make the changes that we want in this country unless we deliver our message to them. Let’s stand together!