Gates seeks $190 billion for wars

puremagicpuremagic Posts: 1,907
edited September 2007 in A Moving Train
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert Gates will ask Congress Wednesday to approve nearly $190 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008, increasing initial projections by more than a third.

In remarks prepared for a Senate hearing, Gates says the extra money is necessary to buy vehicles that can protect troops against roadside bombs, refurbish equipment worn down by combat and consolidate U.S. bases in Iraq. A copy of the remarks was obtained by The Associated Press. ...

Gates says another $42 billion is needed to cover additional requirements. The extra money includes:

• $11 billion to field another 7,000 MRAP vehicles in addition to the 8,000 already planned;

--Here's a thought - Let's get BAE to deliver the first 8,000 MRAP over there before giving Armor -Armor Holdings deal closed; BAE Systems welcomes newest employees-, another $11 billion dollars while U.S. troops keep getting killed in maimed by roadside bombs. http://production.investis.com/armorholdings/

• $9 billion to reconstitute equipment and technology

--Guess what - Navistar was previously awarded $1 billion to provide and perform this service, then another $71.5 million, now Gates wants $9 billion and we still have broken down MRAPs and equipment littering Iraq making it easy for any terrorists or insurgent to strip parts and technology so they can know how to find the weak spot and kill more troops. Make Navistar do its job before spend another $9 billion dollars. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/09/13/061966.html

• $6 billion for training and equipment of troops;

--No more surprises, tell us - Who's troops? What equipment? For $6 billion dollar they can be more detailed. Or is this $6 billion to cover the "cost plus" contracts awarded toAegis Defense Services, Erinys, Control Risks Group or Blackwater Consulting.

• $1 billion to improve U.S. facilities in the region and consolidate bases in Iraq

-- Why? Is there a roof leak or something? Have they outgrown their capacity? Why should another $1 billion dollars be used for this when Haliburton has been allowed to walk away from its original financial obligation to this job, among others, to the tune of a $4 billion dollar profit on a $5 billion dollar contract where nothing much of anything was accomplished except the billing of the U.S. taxpayer before moving its headquarters to the arab/muslim country UAE.

• $1 billion to train and equip Iraqi security forces.

--Idoits!!! What Iraqi security forces. How many damn times has the Bush administration and its military mouth pieces informed the American public of the inadequacies and ineffectiveness of the Iraqi police force (not security force). How many times have all military spokesmen stated that its a thin line in trusting the Iraqi "police force". How many times has Congress been informed that the Iraqi "police force" is inadequate that is -why more troops are needed, why the troops have to stay longer, blah, blah-. This $1 billion can stay in the U.S. Treasury to help at home. Americans don't have and don't want to spend money on frivolous "shopping", they want stability both mentally and financially.

Gates says - The $190 billion total would cover war costs for the 2008 budget year, which begins Monday. Congress was on track this week to pass a stopgap spending bill that would keep the war afloat for several more weeks, giving Democrats time to figure out their next step on the war.
<>Bullshit, the 190 billion has jackshit to do with U.S. troops in Iraq. It's about preparing for Iran.
SIN EATERS--We take the moral excrement we find in this equation and we bury it down deep inside of us so that the rest of our case can stay pure. That is the job. We are morally indefensible and absolutely necessary.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • CosmoCosmo Posts: 12,225
    That's cheap.
    Expect the final tab at the end of 2008 to be closer to $300 billion.
    Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
    Hail, Hail!!!
  • mammasanmammasan Posts: 5,656
    What has this war cost us to date?
    "When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads." - Ron Paul
  • I knew I should have went into arms manufacturing...
  • NYbenbenNYbenben Posts: 1,020
    i think its funny that Congress can approve $190 billion for a war overseas, but they find it difficult to come up with $1 billion for the hero's from 9-11 that are now sick and dying...
    4/12/92, 8/11/92, 9/28/96, 9/11/98, 8/23/00, 8/24/00, 7/9/03, 4/30/03, 10/1/04, 10/3/05, 12/9/05, 5/12/06, 5/17/06, 5/28/06, 6/3/06, 12/9/06, EV LA 4/12-4/13/08, 6/12/08, 6,19,08, 6,20,08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 7/1/08

    and still jonesing for another show....
    "the waiting drove me mad..."
  • mammasanmammasan Posts: 5,656
    1970RR wrote:


    Holy shit over 450 billion dollars. I did a little search and it seems that the US, in today's dollars, spent roughly 1.5 trillion dollars to fight WW II. Now that war was on a global scale, fought on 3 continents with two major fronts and saved Asia & Europe. This war so far has cost us 1/3 of that, is on a much smaller scale and has accomplished nothing.
    "When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads." - Ron Paul
  • mammasanmammasan Posts: 5,656
    NYbenben wrote:
    i think its funny that Congress can approve $190 billion for a war overseas, but they find it difficult to come up with $1 billion for the hero's from 9-11 that are now sick and dying...

    There is no money to be made in helping them.
    "When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads." - Ron Paul
  • NYbenbenNYbenben Posts: 1,020
    mammasan wrote:
    There is no money to be made in helping them.

    isnt that sad... its all about spending money so someone else makes it?
    that just sounds wrong.
    4/12/92, 8/11/92, 9/28/96, 9/11/98, 8/23/00, 8/24/00, 7/9/03, 4/30/03, 10/1/04, 10/3/05, 12/9/05, 5/12/06, 5/17/06, 5/28/06, 6/3/06, 12/9/06, EV LA 4/12-4/13/08, 6/12/08, 6,19,08, 6,20,08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 7/1/08

    and still jonesing for another show....
    "the waiting drove me mad..."
  • CosmoCosmo Posts: 12,225
    NYbenben wrote:
    i think its funny that Congress can approve $190 billion for a war overseas, but they find it difficult to come up with $1 billion for the hero's from 9-11 that are now sick and dying...
    ...
    I don't understand why the entire country is not in an uproar over this. We are forsaking the ones we should be in deep gratitude to... just take care of those people... I don't care what it costs. I guess they are America's Yesterdays Heroes... people's personal tax cuts are more important.
    Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
    Hail, Hail!!!
  • puremagicpuremagic Posts: 1,907
    NYbenben wrote:
    i think its funny that Congress can approve $190 billion for a war overseas, but they find it difficult to come up with $1 billion for the hero's from 9-11 that are now sick and dying...

    Problem is, your talking about health providers and insurance companies. Remember these are companies that won the argument against "God's abilities" so they didn't have to pay Katrina victims.

    These insurance companies and health providers know that if they make an exception for these workers, they have opened the loophole for workers put at risk in any disaster to file claims.

    The bottom line is always the dollar.
    SIN EATERS--We take the moral excrement we find in this equation and we bury it down deep inside of us so that the rest of our case can stay pure. That is the job. We are morally indefensible and absolutely necessary.
  • 190 Billion next year!?!

    You mean ... gah ... uh ... duh ... you mean ... ::stammer:: ... ::gasp::

    RUMMY WAS WRONG!?!

    2003 ABC Interview With D. Rumsfeld

    Stephanopoulos: Meanwhile, you have to prepare for war. I want to show up on the screen some guidelines you wrote for yourself that you think you have to think about before you commit forces to combat. They were printed in "The New York Times." Let me show it for our viewers right now.

    It says: "If there is a risk of casualties, that fact should be acknowledged at the outset, rather than allowing the public to believe an engagement can be executed antiseptically, on-the-cheap, with few casualties." What should the public know right now about what a war with Iraq would look like and what the costs would be?

    Rumsfeld: Cost in dollars or cost in lives?

    Stephanopoulos: Dollars and human costs.

    Rumsfeld: Well, the lesser important is the cost in dollars. Human life is a treasure. The Office of Management and Budget estimated it would be something under 50 billion dollars.

    Stephanopoulos: Outside estimates say up to 300 billion.

    Rumsfeld: Baloney. How much of that would be paid by the United States, how much by other countries is an open question. But if you think about it, September 11th, besides the 3,000 lives, cost this country hundreds of billions of dollars. So, yes, measure the risk of acting, but also the risk of not acting. And if we suffered a biological September 11th, the cost would just be many, many, many multiples of any conflict.
    My government officials have a first name, it's
    B-A-L-O-N-E-Y
    If I was to smile and I held out my hand
    If I opened it now would you not understand?
  • mammasan wrote:
    Holy shit over 450 billion dollars.

    Ah, its actually closer to 600 billion, and that's before this extra 190 billion. America, those neocon fucks are doin' ya dry. Great article/review I saw today by Michael Scheuer about Israel and Iraq:


    http://www.antiwar.com/scheuer/?articleid=11670
  • even flow?even flow? Posts: 8,066
    I couldn't imagine looking at my downtown core and having a child who needs check ups and schooling.then saying I'd agree with even two cents more getting spent on the war. But you rich Yanks blow me away.
    You've changed your place in this world!
  • 190 Billion next year!?!

    You mean ... gah ... uh ... duh ... you mean ... ::stammer:: ... ::gasp::

    RUMMY WAS WRONG!?!

    2003 ABC Interview With D. Rumsfeld

    Stephanopoulos: Meanwhile, you have to prepare for war. I want to show up on the screen some guidelines you wrote for yourself that you think you have to think about before you commit forces to combat. They were printed in "The New York Times." Let me show it for our viewers right now.

    It says: "If there is a risk of casualties, that fact should be acknowledged at the outset, rather than allowing the public to believe an engagement can be executed antiseptically, on-the-cheap, with few casualties." What should the public know right now about what a war with Iraq would look like and what the costs would be?

    Rumsfeld: Cost in dollars or cost in lives?

    Stephanopoulos: Dollars and human costs.

    Rumsfeld: Well, the lesser important is the cost in dollars. Human life is a treasure. The Office of Management and Budget estimated it would be something under 50 billion dollars.

    Stephanopoulos: Outside estimates say up to 300 billion.

    Rumsfeld: Baloney. How much of that would be paid by the United States, how much by other countries is an open question. But if you think about it, September 11th, besides the 3,000 lives, cost this country hundreds of billions of dollars. So, yes, measure the risk of acting, but also the risk of not acting. And if we suffered a biological September 11th, the cost would just be many, many, many multiples of any conflict.
    My government officials have a first name, it's
    B-A-L-O-N-E-Y



    The architects of the Iraq invasion and occupation have been and continue to be WRONG about everything from the start. It burns me like nothing else. And it doesn't matter a lick to them because a: they don't give a shit, and b: they got exactly what the wanted

    They all belong is prison - yet instead they all took cushy private sector gigs or retired to their multi million dollar estates. Fuckers.
    "Sean Hannity knows there is no greater threat to America today than Bill Clinton 15 years ago"- Stephen Colbert
  • I would be nice to give our schools 190 billion dollars or 190 billion to fight crime in our own country. What a shame....they spend BILLIONS to kill people...it really fucking pisses me off! FUCK THE US GOVNERMENT. FUCKING MURDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I'll be back
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