Many of us have been objecting for years that we are closing down essential programs and selling off public lands on the state and federal level while we gush billions to fund wars like the one in Iraq — an oil rich country. The Iraqis, however, have called for billing the United States for damage to their country from the war. When Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from California, went to Iraq with a delegation he caused a diplomatic incident when he politely suggested that Iraq might want to pay some of the costs back now that it is again selling oil at record high prices. The response was a statement from the government that the entire delegation was not welcomed in the country after making such a “stupid” proposal.
Of course, it was not stupid to spend hundreds of billions and sacrifice so many young Americans. Instead, officials again demanded that the United States pay damages to Iraq and emphasized that they did not want the war and did not approve of the way the United States has acted in their country. Of course, the Obama Administration is now indicating that Iraq needs us to remain and that we would seriously consider keeping troops after the proposed date of withdrawal set by Bush. Obama previously renamed combat troops to suggest a withdrawal from the war.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh responded angrily to the suggestion that we were there to help them and should be compensated: “We as a government reject such statements, and we have informed the American embassy that these congressmen are not welcome in Iraq,”
The head of the Iraqi parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Humam Hmoudi, said suggestions that Iraq should bear such costs are “stupid” and “provokes us and the Iraqi people.” Legislator Etab al-Douri was equally incensed and said “we are the ones who should ask for compensation and not them, and we demand the occupiers to withdraw now.” Of course, the Obama Administration is insisting that we remain and continue to bear the entire bill for our defense of the Iraqi people.
Ambassador James F. Jeffrey reacted to the scandal by distancing the Administration from such comments and reminding the Iraqi people that these congressmen do not speak for the country.
Source: Politico
Jonathan Turley
frank, your point about unexploded ordinance is an important one.
It’s important for liberals to remember that Hillary Clinton voted against banning the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas, helping the guarantee that kids for years, maybe decades, will continue to be maimed and killed by them.
Again, that’s not to take blame away from Republicans who voted against the ban, but to remind liberals that supporting Hillary Clinton is to support someone who acts just like a Republican when it suits her political needs.
frank, my point is that as long as liberals continue to support Democrats (who are equally as corrupt and incompetent as Republicans), we will continue to commit grave injustices at home and around the world.
The reason I bring up the Democrats is because, when presented with an article that describes a problem caused by Republicans and Democrats alike (without authorization from Democrats, Bush et al could never have invaded Iraq in the first place), and continued primarily by Democrats, all the comments are about how awful the Republicans are. Well, of course they’re awful. They’re Republicans. That’s what they are.
But improvement never comes about by pointing fingers at other parties, no matter how guilty those other parties are. Democrats will only act like liberals if liberals stop supporting them when they act like conservatives. Our problems overseasright now are the Obama administration’s responsibility. And as this administration continues the devastating, useless policies of the Bush administration, even escalating them, it’s childish to avoid condemning it.
If liberals support Democrats, they ought not to complain when the Democrats predictably act like Republicans, as that’s what they’ve been doing for the last 10 years.
culheath
1, June 13, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Beyond the duplicity is the sheer arrogance and beyond that is the massive ignorance of the right.But beyond all of that is need for some cosmic justice to be brought down on the heads of the American people who let these war crimes be perpetrated in our name. We abetted Bushco and Blackwater et al in both Iraq and in this country by our acquiescence to the fear mongering. And worst of all it continues.
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nyet! boyo, nyet!
the American people , even at thier worst, continue to be more civilized than our current ‘political’ body. We the People rely on the whores of media to give us accurate and timely information….many of us continue to protest…and continue to pay for our ‘American’ behavior….
Arrrrrg.
When totaling up the damage we have done I neglected to mention the tons of unexploded ordinance and depleted uranium we have kindly salted across the country. There is a gift that will keep on giving
Beyond the duplicity is the sheer arrogance and beyond that is the massive ignorance of the right.But beyond all of that is need for some cosmic justice to be brought down on the heads of the American people who let these war crimes be perpetrated in our name. We abetted Bushco and Blackwater et al in both Iraq and in this country by our acquiescence to the fear mongering. And worst of all it continues.
So Les, whats your point? Nobody here suggested there is not enough blame to go around. Perhaps this is a sign of a guilty consciences? That would be a hopeful sign but I doubt that is your goal. I bet your goal is deflecting blame from the monsters that started this crusade. Yes, they had help from spineless Dems and those who Blew Dogs but that should not take one day in Hell away from the afterlife to the chicken hawk chicken shits that let the fires
I think it’s important to remember the role Democrats played in authorizing the war, enabling the requests to sustain and enhance the occupation, refusal to investigate the previous administration for its crimes, and our current presence there.
It’s important to remember that Obama’s foreign policies are strongly supported by neo-conservatives. Republicans and the Tea Party are easy targets for criticism and ridicule, but none of the damage we’ve done and continue to do overseas would be possible without the active support of Democrats.
where ARE all those missing $$$$?
the cultural infrastructure an Persian historical artifacts were completely destroyed. The non-miltary people were murdered, the premise was nothing but a greed hard-on. This bullshit suggestion is nothing more than an attept to placate some seriously guilty, seriously sick attempt at mitigating, covering up, and escaping liability to a sovereign and DESTROYED Nation. It is disgusting. That war has seriously undermined the credibility of the US around the world and $$$ is the issue,why hasn’t Halliburton, or Blackwater or any of the other culpable ‘corporations’ been brought to bear? And why hasn’t Iraq sued the US?….I can only think because one doesn’t go to the corrupt to correct…..
Roco “We should be reimbursed for any new infrastructure that we built which we did not destroy.”
You really don’t want to get into that bookkeeping. We destroyed a lot more than we have built there. And we managed to destroy a lot more than just buildings & bridges. We destroyed neighborhoods where people of different religious beliefs used to reside. There was an active Christian community in Iraq until our invasion destroyed it. Iran was partially held in check by Iraq before we invaded, now it holds sway over a large part of Iraq.
WE won’t even try to tally the human cost of what we did there. 10s of thousands dead, hundreds of thousands homeless, orphaned, widowed. Millions of lives upended. And for what? So some arrogant little prick from Connecticut could play dress up pilot & get re-elected.
“I don’t think so because we have huge reserves in the US that we cannot explore due to the anti-growth policies of this administration and the environmentalists who would rather drill in some third world s-hole”
Roco,
Wrong again. The oil available to us would be a drop in the bucket and barely decrease out energy dependence. I’m sure too we need to drill, drill, drill. Look how well that turned out in the Gulf. By the way the vehicles of choice of most Tea Baggers are Trucks and SUV’s that get maybe 10mpg overall. Your great free marketeers destroyed trolley lines, gas turbine (1950’s) car engines, electric (1990’s) car engines and many other things that would have improved transportation and cut down on our oil dependence. Ronnie Reagan even had solar panels removed from the White House. With the fearlessness of the uninformed, you’ve again wandered into an area with which you’re only informed by propaganda.
Those damn Iraqi’s just don’t appreciate the fine art of war it seems.
Everyone knows big art costs big bucks.
my first thought was that he was right to ask, but I believe Buddha is Laughing is correct on this one to a point.
We broke some of it, we should fix what we broke. Although there wasn’t much in that country that was working correctly. We should be reimbursed for any new infrastructure that we built which we did not destroy.
I think he was right to ask, but he should have known what the answer was going to be ahead of time.
As far as being about oil? I don’t think so because we have huge reserves in the US that we cannot explore due to the anti-growth policies of this administration and the environmentalists who would rather drill in some third world s-hole.
If anything it was more about payback for the assassination attempt on George the First.
Look out Libya … he’s working up a bill for you too. Invade then bill.
“U.S. Representative Rohrabacher (R-CA) submitted the following resolution, HR 188, which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and expresses the sense of the House of Representatives against the regime of Mu’ammar al-Gaddafi.
In this historic resolution, the House states Gadaffi has shown himself to be an enemy of the United States and a threat to international security. In addition to supporting President Obama’s actions in the Libya, they hold the Gaddafi regime illegitamate AND request the Transitional Council to be recognized by the US as the legitimate representatives of the Libyan People!”
http://feb17.info/official-documents/house-resolution-188-support-for-libyan-transitional-council-and-against-gaddafi/
Too lazy to look it up, but I recall Rove & Wolfowitz telling us that the costs of the war and reconstruction would be repaid to us using Iraqi oil revenue. Also before the invasion they told us it would cost 1 or 2 billion, tops.
At least 100,000 (very low estimate) Iraqi’s died when we invaded a sovereign nation, uninvolved in 9/11, looking for non-existent WMD’s. The action was murder and the deaths/maiming that our troops suffered was at least as heinous. Particularly so because many idealistic young people enlisted, lured by the false propaganda that they were defending their country. Rohrbacker’s statement was not only stupid, it represents that he is too ignorant and insensitive to hold public office. Howerver, when has stupidity, ignorance and insensitivity been a detriment in seeking or obtaining public office.
Iraq was always about the oil and Rohrbacker, as his past has shown, it too dumb, vile and greedy (for corporate $) to even avoid making a pretense that it was for a greater cause.
The definition of Tone Deaf: Republican half-wits.
“The response was a statement from the government that the entire delegation was not welcomed in the United States after making such a ‘stupid’ proposal.”
That’s odd. That was my exact reaction about the delegation returning to Congress. CONGRESS! You didn’t impeach your buddies King George II and Oily Dick Cheney when they invaded a country that didn’t attack us all so their families, friends and business partners could
makesteal a buck or two.You broke it?
You bought it.