U.S. Is Quietly Spending $2.5 Billion From Iraqi Oil Revenues to Pay for [

[UpInArms]

U.S. Is Quietly Spending $2.5 Billion From Iraqi Oil Revenues to Pay for Iraqi Projects

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/21/politics/21DIPL.html?ex=1088395200&?en=f9081e9242797a44&?ei=5062&?partner=GOOGLE

WASHINGTON, June 20 — Struggling with bureaucratic problems in spending the money appropriated by Congress to rebuild Iraq, American authorities are moving quietly and quickly to spend $2.5 billion from a different source, Iraqi oil revenue, for projects employing tens of thousands of Iraqis, especially in the country's hot spots, Bush administration officials say.

The spending program, which was started unannounced, has been undertaken in consultation with Iraqi ministers, despite misgivings that the oil revenue belonged to Iraq and that it should be set aside for use when Iraq's sovereignty is restored, scheduled for June 30.

Because of deteriorating security and complex delays in contracts that have slowed the spending of the $18 billion in Congressionally appropriated money, occupation authorities say they decided in the spring that they had to spend the Iraqi money to build schools, factories and oil fields, and to turn Iraqis away from violence.

"The security needs were just overwhelming," said an occupation official. "Would we rather have been able to save the money and have a nice kitty? Sure. There's always a tension between putting money to work right away and having it available for a tough year next year. This is the way we resolved it."

Bush administration officials say they believe that the spending program has helped stabilize Iraq, although most note that negotiated arrangements allowing insurgent groups to operate peacefully in Falluja, Karbala, Najaf and other troubled areas were also instrumental in reaching that goal.

...more...

[NMDemDist2]

1. geez, it's about time they put the Iraqi's to work

and what better project than their own country with their own money

D'OH what a concept! /sarcasm off

the CPA are idiots

[sally343434]

2. Are you kidding?

Like with everything else, this is probably a lie. I'd guess well over half of that money is going into The Cabal's pocket (via their cronies, if not directly), and the rest is spent "hiring Iraqis" (meaning buying off various insurgent groups until after the election.)

[NMDemDist2]

4. OMG I hope you're wrong, those people need to start rebuilding

their lives and homes and getting electricity and water

I hope the story is true, but you are probably right <sigh>

[amber dog democrat]

12. I can't believe anything coming from this administraton

and no way of knowing what it is actually doing. My instincts tell me SOMEone is cashing in. Having control of the iraqi oil revenues is a nice racket on one hand or a sore temptation on another. I doubt greatly if its being managed responsibly.

[struggle4progress]

3. Are the Bushistas spending monies appropriated by Congress elsewhere?

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Shouldering the cost of Iraqi reconstruction

Iraq has tremendous resources that belong to the Iraqi people. And so there are a variety of means that Iraq has to be able to shoulder much of the burden for their own reconstruction.
--Ari Fleischer, White House press briefing, February 18, 2003

Translation: This is colonial piracy. We are stealing from the Iraqi people fair and square.

[lanparty]

6. Like all their loot ...

Half goes into their pockets. The other half goes to the arming and cultivation of more terrorists.

[markses]

7. The what now?!?

"Bush administration officials say they believe that the spending program has helped stabilize Iraq..."

The evidence of such stabilization is manifest nearly every morning now, as the rockets of stabilization smash into US bases and the car bombs of stabilization rip through this street and that! Notice how fast, by the way, these "free-enterprisers" go all socialized industry when the shizzit flies. Spending oil money on social improvement? Who woulda thunk it?* :eyes:

*For more information on this bizarre concept, see Petroleos de Venezuela....

[schultzee]

Bush is robbing our country, South American style

[schultzee]

8. Bush is robbing our country, South American style

[2Design]

9. what is he doing with the $87 million we gave him to rebuild Iraq

and the additional $25 billion or million he just got... now he is spending their money.......he doesn't know how to properly budget money......

[Bluebear]

10. I'm beginning to realize few people care anymore.

After all, remember 9/11 and gay marriage. No outrage to be found. :(

[goforit]

11. LOL!!!!!!!!.........This has been happenning 24/7 since 1/2001.

But it's nice of y'all to print 1 out of the thousands of megabuck
robberies.

It is quite commical.

But we've gotta start somewhere.

Every dynasty comes to an end only if we put effort behind it.

[drNick]

13. gotta throw the dog some table scraps

gee... thanks for the help.. thats like the guy in calif that
was stealing diesal fuel from farmers, about $6000 worth.
He did it with no remorse, was the farmer expecting that
the thief should pay for a new lock and chain? lol.

[DemonFighterLives]

14. Now are fingers are caught in the till

I'm sure they have been all along. This should really go over good.:silly:

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. For more details of this spending

see the Iraq Revenue Watch site, set up by George Soros' Open Society Institute. In particular, Fire Sale: CPA Giving Away Oil Revenue Billions Before Transition.