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Audit: US cannot account for $8.7B in Iraqi funds

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Right now, several "patriotic" Americans are laughing their @$$es off, all the way to the bank. Conservatives won't complain, because they all dream of doing the same one day, just like these friends of the Bush Dynasty.

People say the war was about a lot of things. My line has ALWAYS been it was primarily about money and bloodlust, the balance of that combo depending on the individual.

America has been robbed and we need to find those responsible and EXECUTE them. Yes, I did say execute. I abhor the death penalty but when you are talking that sort of money, you can't keep them in prison long enough. I would love to give them life, but they would get bought out with our billions no less.

Let the executions start with George W. Bush, right after we have waterboarded him for names.

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Somebody's been trigger & cash card happy, apparently...

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Is anyone really surprised by this? Ugh. And they will probably CONTINUE to get away with it. Meanwhile, the rest of America suffers, the people in the middle east suffer. Great.

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$8.7 B? awwww... THATS nothin!!! Its all phony money anyway... Print baby, PRINT!

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The legacy of L Paul Bremer III and his cronies, who destroyed the structure of Iraq far more effectively than Saddam Hussein and the coalition forces.

Nice one Paully.....

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"Right now, several "patriotic" Americans are laughing their @$$es off, all the way to the bank. Conservatives won't complain, because they all dream of doing the same one day, just like these friends of the Bush Dynasty.

People say the war was about a lot of things. My line has ALWAYS been it was primarily about money and bloodlust, the balance of that combo depending on the individual.

America has been robbed and we need to find those responsible and EXECUTE them. Yes, I did say execute. I abhor the death penalty but when you are talking that sort of money, you can't keep them in prison long enough. I would love to give them life, but they would get bought out with our billions no less"

Well put! This war has been a huge waste on so many levels and now it turns out that it was also a hiest. I hope heads roll on this one.

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I am with MistWizard on this but I disagree about staring with Bush when you could start with Cheney. Lets see how long that heart valve lasts Dick while being your water-boarded.

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If I had that much money defrauded from scams in Iraq, I would put it in a bank and use it to bankroll political campaigns and terrorist campaigns throughout the Mid East. By handling the timing just right, I could keep the good times rolling by selling arms in Africa, hijacking ships in Aden, and doing some ops in Pakistan, Chechnya, India, Colombia, Afghanistan, etc. A little shorting here, a little covering there. Some killing here, a few bombs there. West Bank, Kurdistan, Somalia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc. I could make more money coming and going.

Too bad somebody has already thought of this. They are already doing it, and I don't think they would want me getting in on the action.

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Halliburton, cheney and bush know where the money 'disappeared' to, but heaven help us if conservatives ever twig that it wasn't used for 'Iraq reconstruction' or 'democracy building.' Some people are so gullible.

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Wasn't there a similar situation on September 10, 2001, but something like 2 trillions?

Klein2, so true.

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well well well. what do you know? war on terror eh

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Pathetic... Reminds me of that new flick with Damon, The Green Zone, where his CIA handler just chucks him 5 million like a beer from a fridge and asks for intel... I am sure many realize or not- a lot of these bent crooks, thieves on both sides have been killed too. Many have been prosecuted as well. Dont worry or stress too much... Japan lost about the same in government projects in the 80-90s with Yakuza and LDP on concrete rivers, and those massive concrete pronged erosion things you see on the shores. Like $20k a pop and absolutely useless. All governments waste and steal. Dont bother to audit me Uncle Sam.

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This is just sad.

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No surprise - lots of govt money and poor governance. anyone who believes that US administration is not capable of being just as corrupt as many "3rd worl" countries take note

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Looks like conservatives who are still clinging to the notion that bush/cheney actually did something good for America just had reality bash them over the head. Again.

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Oh no! This reminds me of when they announced that $2.3 TRILLIONS were missing from the pentagon accounts on Sept. 10, 2001. I wonder what will happen tomorrow...

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I ain't particularly surprised by this. The 787 billion stimulus/ pump-priming / Democrat slush fund that Obama-Pelosi-Reid said would get the economy goin and ensure unemployment goes no higher than 8 percent is even harder to account for. That was 2,500 dollars for every family in America. I don't know anybody who seems to have benefited by it.

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Don't look at me, I don't have it...

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This video guys us some idea of where the money might have gone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VurA4YzOT3M

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bobbafett said: I disagree about staring with Bush when you could start with Cheney. Lets see how long that heart valve lasts Dick while being your water-boarded.

I hear ya. But the thing is that Cheney no doubt has more information. We need to take our time with that one and finishing Bush first may loosen his lips.

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Underscoring its financial challenges, the International Monetary Fund in March approved a $3.6 billion loan to help Iraq meet its obligations. Iraq is projected to run a deficit through 2011

Yay! In debitum nos fides

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Wow, no "hawks" here...

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You know its time to STOP paying U.S. taxes when...

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Madverts: Wow, no "hawks" here...

I think the bar of absurdity has been set pretty high already....think the hawks can do better? I give them a 50-50 chance.

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We live in a dog eat dog jungle.

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And how much of that money went to finance the jihad?

What an insanity.

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Sabi:

" This video guys us some idea of where the money might have gone: "

Trust Sabiwabi to post propaganda from Iranian TV...

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"Iraqi complaints"

"Iraq should take legal action to get back this huge amount of money"

Maybe we should have left Saddam alone to continue to run Iraq into the ground from his many luxurious palaces, lol.

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"I think the bar of absurdity has been set pretty high already"

Super,

What's absurd is the fact that nearly 8.7 BILLION dollars have been pilfered by persons unknown whom will more than likely never be held accountable.

The invasion was always the height of capitalism run riot, whilst American's face the worst depression since 1930. I agree, people should hang for this kind of corruption.

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Yeah, I think calls to execute former Presidents is pretty emotional.

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But wait! I want to make sure my taxes are lower. Keep taxes lower! Taxes must always be lower. And make sure Obama is not a Muslim. And make sure he was not born in Africa. These are the important issues we should focus on...not this little 8.7 billion Iraqi stuff.

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The report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction accused the Defense Department of lax oversight and weak controls, though not fraud.

Ummm....what? I'm no lawman, but I think the word 'fraud' just might be applicable here.

But wait! I want to make sure my taxes are lower. Keep taxes lower! Taxes must always be lower.

Yes, they should be. Both sides stop wasting my money on stupid sh@t.

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"Yeah, I think calls to execute former Presidents is pretty emotional."

Well, when you calculate the war based on fabricated evidence, and the humantarian carnage left in it's wake, I think it's fair to say people should pay the price. But I think you're missing the point here - most peopkle are getting emotional knowing that it's unlikely anyone will be in the dock over the missing $8.7 billion dollars.

They gave Madoff 150 years in prison and forfeiture of $170.179 billion, despite him defrauding and estimated actual loss to investors of $18 billion.

Yes, this is another thing that stinks over the Iraq fiasco.

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Look to Dick Cheney's pockets for much of the lost loot.

This amount is peanuts compared to the trillion plus wasted on this idiotic and useless invasion. How republicans can whine about debt when it was them that cheered on this total failure that is bankrupting the US budget is unbelievable. Stopping the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan will save the US government trillions. But no, the republicans would rather watch americans starve than admit failure in these fake wars.

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SuperLib said: Yeah, I think calls to execute former Presidents is pretty emotional.

I wonder how you feel about war crimes trials Super? I am sure there are people who supported all those officials to the very end citing their positions. I am not emotional about this at all. I am as cool as a cucumber. GWB is a war criminal. I would give him life in prison if I thought it remotely possible to actually keep him there if it were remotely possible to actually jail him. All this loss of BILLIONS is is something which has the small potential to allow Americans to see the Bush cabal for what it was. Sadly, people like you cry diplomatic immunity although I am not sure why. You also tend to cry that no American soldier should ever go to the ICJ NO MATTER WHAT, so while I am not surprised, I cannot say I understand this. Conservatives seem to be all for severe punishment any other Sunday.

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zurcronium said: But no, the republicans would rather watch americans starve than admit failure in these fake wars.

We won't starve, but these guys surely don't care much if America gets her spirit and economy totally sapped.

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Trust Sabiwabi to post propaganda from Iranian TV...

The person talking, Ray McGovern, is an American. He was a CIA analyst for almost 30 years and is co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. The sad thing is that we need things like Iranian TV to see these things.

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WilliB said: Trust Sabiwabi to post propaganda from Iranian TV...

Trust WilliB to reflexively and xenophobically attack the messenger.

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Check the wallets of Cheney's buds at Halliburton.

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kamonochoumei,

bingo!!! but some money went to pay for cheney's mechanical heart.

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tell me why anyone loans money to these clowns.

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MistWizard: GWB is a war criminal. I would give him life in prison if I thought it remotely possible to actually keep him there if it were remotely possible to actually jail him.

I know. In a perfect world Saddam would be running Iraq and Bush would be executed. Sorry that it just didn't pan out for you that way.

All this loss of BILLIONS is is something which has the small potential to allow Americans to see the Bush cabal for what it was.

Which is what? What evidence do you have? There's no record of the money either way. Why don't I start calling for executions? Because we've thrown about a trillion dollars at the war. $8.7 billion gone missing just doesn't really raise my pulse very much.

Sadly, people like you cry diplomatic immunity although I am not sure why.

Sorry, when did I cry diplomatic immunity?

You also tend to cry that no American soldier should ever go to the ICJ NO MATTER WHAT, so while I am not surprised, I cannot say I understand this. Conservatives seem to be all for severe punishment any other Sunday.

Sorry, are you confusing me for someone else? Look....you just want to see any American put in jail because it would make you feel like a better person. I voted for Obama because I saw what he was...moderate. The problem with talking to someone on the radical left is that they see moderates as conservatives.

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SuperLib said: In a perfect world Saddam would be running Iraq and Bush would be executed.

In a perfect world they would be sharing a prison cell, until death do they part. Amazing how long we have been posting, and you have no idea how I think at all.

What evidence do you have? There's no record of the money either way.

We know who was responsible for the money.

Sorry, when did I cry diplomatic immunity?

What else is there. You seem to find the idea of an American president facing justice to be ridiculous. The only explanation is along the lines of diplomatic immunity, but in this case more like political immunity.

Look....you just want to see any American put in jail because it would make you feel like a better person.

Nonsense. I want to see more criminals in jail and their nationality or government position is not relevant to me, but sure seems relevant to you.

The problem with talking to someone on the radical left is that they see moderates as conservatives.

The trouble with conservatives is they tend to see themselves as moderates even though their positions are beyond moderate.

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Alrighty, so it's settled then. Bush should be executed, I'm a conservative, and I support diplomatic immunity for war criminals. Anything else we need to cover?

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I see anything about Bush or Cheney really gets hits on this website.

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We call it a "cash cow."

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This is an old story. It came to light long before bush was out of office.

MistWizard I agree with you on this one. SuperLib I totally disagree with you, but that's nothing new. It just felt good telling you so. < :-)

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