Friday, May 09, 2008
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
The Cost of The Occupation
Aside from the ongoing loss of civilian and military lives, the continuing occupation of Iraq is also having a devastating impact on the finances of the USA.
According to congressional analysts, the eventual total cost of the Iraq war and the occupation could be as high as $ 1.5 trillion (that's TRILLION not BILLION!).
This cost does not include the cost of rebuilding Iraq's shattered infrastructure.
The occupation phase of the Iraq war is costing the United States $1,538 a second, or $92,333 a minute, or $5,540,000 an hour.
Despite that, McCain (were he to become president) wants to keep troops there for up to 100 years.
How does he intend to pay for this?
According to congressional analysts, the eventual total cost of the Iraq war and the occupation could be as high as $ 1.5 trillion (that's TRILLION not BILLION!).
This cost does not include the cost of rebuilding Iraq's shattered infrastructure.
The occupation phase of the Iraq war is costing the United States $1,538 a second, or $92,333 a minute, or $5,540,000 an hour.
Despite that, McCain (were he to become president) wants to keep troops there for up to 100 years.
How does he intend to pay for this?
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Saddam Feared AIDS
Diary extracts published by Al-Hayat indicate that Saddam Hussein feared catching Aids and other STDs, whilst he was in jail.
Seemingly the US guards were using Saddam's washing line to dry clothes, and he demanded that they stop.
Saddam is quoted from his diary:
"I explained to them that they are young and they could have young people's diseases.
My main concern was to not catch a venereal disease, an HIV disease, in this place."
Given the circumstances, that should have been the least of his concerns.
Seemingly the US guards were using Saddam's washing line to dry clothes, and he demanded that they stop.
Saddam is quoted from his diary:
"I explained to them that they are young and they could have young people's diseases.
My main concern was to not catch a venereal disease, an HIV disease, in this place."
Given the circumstances, that should have been the least of his concerns.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Aziz Trial Begins
The trial of Tariq Aziz began in Baghdad Tuesday. The former Iraqi deputy prime minister is charged with executing 42 merchants who were accused of breaking state price controls in 1992.
He has been held in jail for the last 5 years, awaiting trial.
The trial was adjourned until 20th May.
He has been held in jail for the last 5 years, awaiting trial.
The trial was adjourned until 20th May.
Monday, April 28, 2008
The Waste
Aside from the appalling waste of lives that the failed Iraq intervention has caused, there has also been a significant waste of money.
An audit performed by The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), of US funded reconstruction projects, has found that millions of dollars have been wasted because many schemes have never been completed.
SIGIR highlights delays, costs, poor performance and violence for failure to finish some 855 projects.
It also noted that many other projects (in the audit of 47,321 projects) had been falsely described as complete.
The financial cost to the US taxpayers currently exceeds $100BN.
How long will the American people tolerate being ripped off in this manner by their own government, and corrupt construction companies?
An audit performed by The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), of US funded reconstruction projects, has found that millions of dollars have been wasted because many schemes have never been completed.
SIGIR highlights delays, costs, poor performance and violence for failure to finish some 855 projects.
It also noted that many other projects (in the audit of 47,321 projects) had been falsely described as complete.
The financial cost to the US taxpayers currently exceeds $100BN.
How long will the American people tolerate being ripped off in this manner by their own government, and corrupt construction companies?
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Another Trial
The fourth trial of figures from Saddam Hussein's regime will begin next week, when former deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz and six others face charges relating to the execution of 42 merchants in 1992.
Aziz will stand trial with, amongst others, Saddam's half brother Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan and former Central Bank chief Issam Mula Hawish.
The trial is scheduled to start Tuesday, and deals with the execution of 42 merchants accused by Saddam's government of being behind a sharp increase in food prices when the country was under sanctions.
Aziz will stand trial with, amongst others, Saddam's half brother Watban Ibrahim al-Hassan and former Central Bank chief Issam Mula Hawish.
The trial is scheduled to start Tuesday, and deals with the execution of 42 merchants accused by Saddam's government of being behind a sharp increase in food prices when the country was under sanctions.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Windfall
The Iraqi government has won a ruling to recover money from Saddam Hussein's Swiss bank account.
Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court has ordered the freezing of US$300M, which was deposited into a Swiss bank account by Khalaf al-Dlimi, Saddam's personal lawyer.
Switzerland will transfer the frozen money, which is legally the property of Iraq, to the Development Fund of Iraq by June 13th.
Dlimi has the right to file an objection to the court ruling with the sanctions commission of the UN Security Council.
Let us hope that the money is used wisely by the government.
Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court has ordered the freezing of US$300M, which was deposited into a Swiss bank account by Khalaf al-Dlimi, Saddam's personal lawyer.
Switzerland will transfer the frozen money, which is legally the property of Iraq, to the Development Fund of Iraq by June 13th.
Dlimi has the right to file an objection to the court ruling with the sanctions commission of the UN Security Council.
Let us hope that the money is used wisely by the government.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Chemical Ali Hospitalised
Ali Hassan al-Majid, aka Chemical Ali, has been admitted to hospital after a three day hunger strike.
Majid is on death row, having been sentenced to death for genocide last June.
His execution, along with those of former defence minister Sultan Hashim al-Tai and former armed forces deputy chief of operations Hussein Rashid al-Tikritis, has been delayed by legal wranglings.
Majid is on death row, having been sentenced to death for genocide last June.
His execution, along with those of former defence minister Sultan Hashim al-Tai and former armed forces deputy chief of operations Hussein Rashid al-Tikritis, has been delayed by legal wranglings.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
US Knew of Kuwait Attack
Ranjit Singh Kalha, former ambassador to Iraq, states in his book "The Ultimate Prize: Oil and Saddam's Iraq" that the US had prior knowledge about Saddam Hussein's attack on Kuwait in 1990.
Kalha quotes the US envoy in Baghdad, April Glaspie, as telling Saddam on July 25, 1990:
"We have no opinion on Arab-Arab conflict, like your border disagreement with Kuwait."
Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2nd 1990.
The US envoy also told Saddam:
"We hope you can solve this problem using any suitable methods... All that we hope is that these issues are solved quickly."
Kalha states that on July 27, 1990, the Kuwaiti ambassador to the US was called to the Pentagon and told, "Iraq is going to invade Kuwait."
The day before the Iraqi attack on Kuwait began, Kuwaiti defence minister Sheikh Salem al-Sabah received a text from the US:
"We do not want to alarm you unnecessarily, but we think the contingency plan should be put into effect... under no circumstances should the Emir be allowed to spend the night in Kuwait city. He should cross into Saudi Arabia and go to Khafji, 20 kilometers south of the border."
The US government decided to punish Saddam because he had gone beyond the agreed script, and taken over all of Kuwait instead of a few islands and its main oilfield.
The seeds of the current conflict were sown in the conflict of 1990, which was brought about because of US ineptitude.
Given the above, does anyone really believe that the US has the capability (diplomatically and politically) to resolve the current troubles in Iraq?
Kalha quotes the US envoy in Baghdad, April Glaspie, as telling Saddam on July 25, 1990:
"We have no opinion on Arab-Arab conflict, like your border disagreement with Kuwait."
Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2nd 1990.
The US envoy also told Saddam:
"We hope you can solve this problem using any suitable methods... All that we hope is that these issues are solved quickly."
Kalha states that on July 27, 1990, the Kuwaiti ambassador to the US was called to the Pentagon and told, "Iraq is going to invade Kuwait."
The day before the Iraqi attack on Kuwait began, Kuwaiti defence minister Sheikh Salem al-Sabah received a text from the US:
"We do not want to alarm you unnecessarily, but we think the contingency plan should be put into effect... under no circumstances should the Emir be allowed to spend the night in Kuwait city. He should cross into Saudi Arabia and go to Khafji, 20 kilometers south of the border."
The US government decided to punish Saddam because he had gone beyond the agreed script, and taken over all of Kuwait instead of a few islands and its main oilfield.
The seeds of the current conflict were sown in the conflict of 1990, which was brought about because of US ineptitude.
Given the above, does anyone really believe that the US has the capability (diplomatically and politically) to resolve the current troubles in Iraq?
Friday, April 11, 2008
Bush Passes The Baton
Having declared "Mission Accomplished", less that five years ago in Iraq, President Bush is now seeking to pass the baton for this costly never-ending war to the next president of the United States.
Bush said that if the United States is defeated in Iraq then "the Taliban in Afghanistan and al-Qaeda in Pakistan would grow in confidence and boldness. And violent extremists around the world would draw the same dangerous lesson they did from our retreats in Somalia and Vietnam."
Notwithstanding his partisan view of history, the US was right to leave Vietnam. Regrettably for the troops fighting in Iraq they will be there for many years to come.
Senator Edward Kennedy said:
"It's abundantly clear that President Bush is simply trying to run out the clock and hand off the mess to the next president."
Mission Not Accomplished!
Bush said that if the United States is defeated in Iraq then "the Taliban in Afghanistan and al-Qaeda in Pakistan would grow in confidence and boldness. And violent extremists around the world would draw the same dangerous lesson they did from our retreats in Somalia and Vietnam."
Notwithstanding his partisan view of history, the US was right to leave Vietnam. Regrettably for the troops fighting in Iraq they will be there for many years to come.
Senator Edward Kennedy said:
"It's abundantly clear that President Bush is simply trying to run out the clock and hand off the mess to the next president."
Mission Not Accomplished!
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