help me to understand this...

[marine4003]

when i first read about the missing billions, i was outraged, why in ANY economy, spend billions rebuilding a country that 1) will end up being our enemy - 2) has billions in oil reserves 3) will end up being our enemy...but, once again we neglect our own to further or hold on oil..but after reading this - http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/envoy/once-feared-lost-now-accounted-iraq-inspector-says-153935856.html it almost looks like it was iraq's money to begin with...true?

[Glenn W]

I don't think there is enough information available ( to the public) to even begin to understand what all is ( and was) going on with this money, let alone provide enough information to render an opinion as to whether it was prudent to put this cash into the hands of the Iraq Govt.
Was a significant amount used to fund covert ops?--- who knows. Were withdrawls of this cash simply used to settle various balances that would other wise have been funded by the U.S. ( or coalition Governments) for military purposes--- who knows. Was it used for costs that would otherwise have been funded by the US State Dept to establish a new Govt. in Iraq?-- who knows.
As you indicate, it is also not known how much of the 6.6 billion actually came from Iraqi sourced funds. All we seem to know from this incomplete report is that the bean counters can now "account" for most of it.

[Big Fish Billy]

Shit....I thought Cheney and Bush split that....all foreign aid is a mistake at this point no matter where it goes, until our budget is balanced anyway, if the US is getting nothing in return....we can't afford to give our money to anyone at this point.....billions there, while it cost billions to wage the war....billions to Pakistan, for what, to help hide Bin Laden.....billions to Korea, so they won't pursue nuclear weapons, yeah right....and God only knows to who else.....our government giving billions to foreign countries, so they can buy our products back, and help the rich get richer on taxpayer dollars.....in the mean time there is no money at home to feed our starving children, or to rebuild areas after weather devastation.....Katrina....there's still devastated areas in MA and VT after Irene and a tornado in MA....ridiculous......along with the Occupy Boston, RI, NY, CA movement agenda, there needs to be an agenda to remove Obama and Congress, and since we supported removing leaders of other foreign countries, we need to support removing the leaders of our own.........

[marine4003]

Its one of those dammed if you do, dammed if you don't, i used to listen to BBC on HULU, for its un varnished reporting and scan news on the net..but the more i hear, the sicker i get..and its not just present day... its been ongoing for quite some time..i think its been a while where there was a semblance of transparency in govt.or at least politicians that have a basic understanding of signing a check on the front...not just the back.