What Costs More Per Year Than The Iraq War???

[gadwall]

The biggest problem with the iraq war is that we are fighting a politically correct war. Something Truman started when he wouldn't let Mac go north of the 38th parallel. We have not fought a non politically correct war since ww2. the germans sure as he$$ didn't care how many civilains they bombed in Britian or anywhere else. Given enough time sadam would have taken his sunni army against shiite iran. He was aready killing them in his own country. We need to bring TR back from the dead, he was the last president that had any.

[88-31-10]

Originally Posted by gadwall

The biggest problem with the iraq war is that we are fighting a politically correct war. Something Truman started when he wouldn't let Mac go north of the 38th parallel. We have not fought a non politically correct war since ww2. the germans sure as he$$ didn't care how many civilains they bombed in Britian or anywhere else. Given enough time sadam would have taken his sunni army against shiite iran. He was aready killing them in his own country. We need to bring TR back from the dead, he was the last president that had any.

Saddam had already tried that. In the early eighties.
Ended in a stalemate.

[banyon]

Originally Posted by Highwayman

If you believe that isn’t happening already, you aren’t paying attention.

Yeah, they're throwing in a pittance:
___________
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/wo...st/09iraq.html

Despite the dire need for better health care, more electricity and clean water, a functioning sewage system and other services, the accountability office has previously estimated that Iraq spent only 22 percent of the oil money set aside for reconstruction in 2006. And in January, the office, which is charged with overseeing the Iraqi government’s finances, reported that Iraq had spent a meager 4.4 percent of its 2007 reconstruction budget by August of that year, the most recent figures available at the time.

As a result, the letter from the Armed Services Committee says, “we believe that it has been overwhelmingly U.S. taxpayer money that has funded Iraq reconstruction over the last five years, despite Iraq earning billions of dollars in oil revenue over that time period that have ended up in non-Iraqi banks.”
________
They also still can't tell us where $9 billion went missing of taxpayer dollars. That's billion with a "b".

[88-31-10]

Originally Posted by banyon

Yeah, they're throwing in a pittance:
___________
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/wo...st/09iraq.html

Despite the dire need for better health care, more electricity and clean water, a functioning sewage system and other services, the accountability office has previously estimated that Iraq spent only 22 percent of the oil money set aside for reconstruction in 2006. And in January, the office, which is charged with overseeing the Iraqi government’s finances, reported that Iraq had spent a meager 4.4 percent of its 2007 reconstruction budget by August of that year, the most recent figures available at the time.

As a result, the letter from the Armed Services Committee says, “we believe that it has been overwhelmingly U.S. taxpayer money that has funded Iraq reconstruction over the last five years, despite Iraq earning billions of dollars in oil revenue over that time period that have ended up in non-Iraqi banks.”
________
They also still can't tell us where $9 billion went missing of taxpayer dollars. That's billion with a "b".

Now you wouldn't think somebody may be siphoning a little money off the top would you? Nah. Surely not. Probably just "investing" it so they'll have it when they need it in the future. You know, when the oil runs out.

[Outofdodge]

Originally Posted by Binky Bainbridge

Long before Saddam invaded Kuwait, the US & the UK should have sent a strong message to him basically saying, "clean up your act or, (to use that quaint American phrase), we're come in and whip your ass!".

You're wasting your fingers on this one Ms. Bainbridge.

However I do need to point out that during the Iraq-Iran war up to the invasion of Kuwait, and that includes the period when the Kurds were gassed, Iraq was an active buyer of American military hardware and overtly received other aid from the US.

[Binky Bainbridge]

Originally Posted by Outofdodge

You're wasting your fingers on this one Ms. Bainbridge.

When the US adopted this strategy with Gaddafi in Libya it worked so it could have worked equally well with Saddam but it was never tried, perhaps action had already been decided.

However I do need to point out that during the Iraq-Iran war up to the invasion of Kuwait, and that includes the period when the Kurds were gassed, Iraq was an active buyer of American military hardware and overtly received other aid from the US.

In February 1982 the US State Department removed Iraq from its list of states supporting international terrorism, and in November 1984 restored normal relations. Why? At that time the greater perceived threat to the US's national interest came from Iran.
Why even Donald Rumsfeld paid Saddam a visit in 1983 as a special envoy of Ronald Reagan - note the long & friendly hand-shakes.
YouTube - Donald Rumsfeld meets Saddam Hussein 1983 (full)

[banyon]

Urban Legends Reference Pages: Social Security for Illegal Aliens

[Tee]

In a nutshell, the senators listed did vote, but the vote wasn't about "giving illegal aliens Social Security benefits"; it was about whether formerly illegal aliens (who had since become legal) should be credited for monies they themselves had paid into the Social Security fund while they were in the U.S. illegally. The senators listed above did not vote in favor of this proposition; they voted to withdraw the amendment from consideration.

So, in reality, they took an anti-illegal immigration stance. This goes to show, you can't always believe what you get in an email.

[jeezeweeze]

National Priorities Project | Bringing the Federal Budget Home

[aft_lizard01]

Originally Posted by Binky Bainbridge

When the US adopted this strategy with Gaddafi in Libya it worked so it could have worked equally well with Saddam but it was never tried, perhaps action had already been decided.

In February 1982 the US State Department removed Iraq from its list of states supporting international terrorism, and in November 1984 restored normal relations. Why? At that time the greater perceived threat to the US's national interest came from Iran.
Why even Donald Rumsfeld paid Saddam a visit in 1983 as a special envoy of Ronald Reagan - note the long & friendly hand-shakes.
YouTube - Donald Rumsfeld meets Saddam Hussein 1983 (full)

Yet for all of that, America was only 1% of arms sales and trade to Iraq.