Bremer Iraq Effort to Cost Tens of Billions (more $ than oil production)

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-iraq-usa-bremer.html
August 27, 2003
W.Post: Bremer Iraq Effort to Cost Tens of Billions
By REUTERS



Filed at 0:57 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iraq will need tens of billions of dollars in contributions from overseas in the next year to fund the reconstruction effort, the top U.S. civil administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, said in an interview published on Wednesday.
Bremer told The Washington Post that Iraqi revenue would not be enough to cover the bill for economic needs that he described as "almost impossible to exaggerate."Explaining the huge cost of the project, Bremer said it would cost $2 billion just to meet current electrical demand and an estimated $16 billion over four years to deliver clean water to all Iraqis.The figures, which must be added to the $4 billion the Pentagon spends each month on military operations in Iraq, offer the latest evidence that the price of the Iraqi occupation is growing substantially, The Post reported.
Quick revenues from Iraq's vast oil resources have failed to materialize because of sabotage and looting.

Bremer told the newspaper he hoped to return Iraqi oil production to prewar levels by October 2004. But he noted that even when deliveries return to 2002 levels, the industry would not produce enough revenue to cover the cost of reconstruction.<anip>

He also told the newspaper that it would take years and countless billions of dollars to get Iraq functioning again. ..Bush said it would require "substantial" time ...would try to persuade more countries to join in ....Bremer strongly questioned the wisdom of giving significant responsibility to the United Nations."What exactly is it that happens on the ground that makes things better if the U.N. is in charge of reconstruction?" he asked.

How about honest stewardship? How about the trust of the Iraqis and the world? How about having people in charge who aren't war criminals, or who aren't guilty of crimes against humanity? How about someone in charge who isn't a fucking 21st century pirate? How about legitimacy?

This is the end of the US as a superpower. We are going to be a broken down, poverty ridden hulk - dangerous and pathetic - the Ottoman Empire of this century - the "Sickman" of the world.

for their no-bid cost-plus Carlyle & Halliburton defense contracts as they do stealing Iraqi oil.

Win-win.

(none of which is true), and we are still at war with it, why are we doing anything humanitarian until they turn over the non-existent WMD, terrorists and 9/11 perpetrators? If we truly had cause for war against the Iraqi people, why are we helping them at all if our war aims aren't met? All we are doing is pumping billions upon billions into the coffers of Carlylse and Halliburton so that they can fix a country we bomb and steal oil.

I should say it is now 1 billion barrels per day by the end of the year if things get repair - currently much less - as we import oil to Iraq (anyone for a coal to NewCastle comment?).

But with a $50 to $100 B investment the Oct 04 goal of 1.7B per day might be dounbled - in 5 years.

In any case, as the occupping country, the Iraq Debt of $100B - which it can not pay - some of which is the fine for losing Gulf War One - is our problem - and Iraq can not float bonds to pay for the stuff to get it back to the glory days of Saddam (by October 04 per above article).

So welcome to our new US CONGRESSION BUDGET ITEM - IRAQ RECONTRSTUCTION - as in police/fire/roads - all the things the US will cut back on.

The sad part is that no one says how much oil Iraq can produce - and export after internal needs - after billions are spent to repair and modernize - is only about $20 dollars worth per year. That coming in Oct 04 $1/2 billion a week seems a bit smaller than the $1 billion/week we spend now - and $1.5 billion/week that bush wants to spend and will ask for in Nov 03.

Of course the $1/4 billion for Afghanistan will need to be doubled if we are to have something more than control of Kabul city limits - and there is no oil - just drugs - which we will have a bumper crop for this year - so we have a US CONGRESSION BUDGET ITEM - AFGHANISTAN RECONTRUCTION - but we can talk about that next week - after the Media forgets about the cost of Iraq. I'd say a 1 day news life - as folks are not interested so the story has no legs.

Well, back to * photos and more John Wayne "We will not retreat!" moments.