Larry Lindsey 12/2002
Larry Lindsey was fired for having the balls to tell Bush and Rumsfeld the Iraq invasion would cost at least $100-200 billion. Now, the “public” tab is up over $400 billion with no end in sight.
From an article published in 2003 in the run-up to Bush’s invasion of Iraq:
The Bush administration is refusing to produce any estimate of the possible cost of war and rebuilding in Iraq, which a series of outside studies have placed at anywhere from $50 billion to more than a trillion dollars.
Budget director Mitch Daniels guessed $50 to $60 billion in a newspaper interview this fall. Former White House economic adviser Larry Lindsey put the price tag between $100 billion and $200 billion. The Washington Post reported Wednesday that defense officials were preparing an estimate of $60 billion to $95 billion.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Thursday described the possible war’s cost as “not knowable.”
“We have no idea how long the war will last. We don’t know to what extent there may or may not be weapons of mass destruction used,” he said. “We don’t have any idea whether or not there would be ethnic strife. We don’t know exactly how long it would take to find weapons of mass destruction and destroy them — those sites.”
The truth was that anyone who disagreed with Rumsfeld’s estimate of war on the cheap was booted out. Anyone in and around the Pentagon who disagreed — was told to shut up and dance.
One general who confronted Rumsfeld and Bush was Anthony Zinni. A retired Marine who played the part of Saddam’s military chief in pre-invasion war games — until he tired of beating the pants off Rumsfeld’s grand design. In his new book, “The Battle for Peace“, he reiterates the same educated understanding that still evades the supermarket warriors among neo-cons.
Recalling that the ouster of the Soviets from Afghanistan had left that country in the hands of the Taliban, Zinni said, “Anyone who has to live in this region and has to stay there and protect our interests, year in, year out, does not look at this as a start and end, as an exit strategy, as a two-year tenure. As long as you are going to have a U.S. Central Command, you are going to be out there and have to deal with whatever you put down on the ground.”
Later in the book, Zinni says that “ignoring this reality, the United States and a handful of its allies forcibly evicted the Saddam Hussein regime, with no plans for a new order to replace it. Today, U.S. military forces in Iraq are mired in an ever-worsening insurgency. Civil war is an ever-growing danger. Disorder and chaos grow ever more entrenched.”
This is not latter-day wisdom from the general. In the summer of 2002, seven months before the war began, he told an audience in Florida what would be required if the United States invaded Iraq. “You could inherit the country of Iraq, if you’re willing to do it,” he said. “If our economy is so great that you’re willing to put billions of dollars into reforming Iraq. If you want to put soldiers that are already stretched so thin all around the world and add them into a security force there forever, like we see in places like the Sinai. If you want to fight with other countries in the region to try to keep Iraq together, as Kurds and Shiites try and split off, you’re going to have to make a good case for that.”
So, who listened?
Those were the same arguments that GHW Busch (who actually HAD experience in foreign affairs when he took office ) used when he did not take out Hussein at the end of the first Iraq war – that we could not afford to create a power vaccuum in Iraq. His son failed to understand this.
Bush, and company, are fighting a war in their own minds. They want war and thus create the impetus to have that war. Bush and his cronies create the problem first and then provide the solution. They believe that people can change if their external world is changed. This is false, and has been proven time and time again. Change only comes from WITHIN. Not from without. We all know this. External change works if there is a dire cry for help from within. And only to the extent to get someone back on their feet. Saddam Hussein had his country under contol. We go in and now it is out of control. Let me go into your house and determine the way you should live. I’m going to kill your two brothers because they are trouble-makers. I’m gonna lock up your dad because he beat your mother twenty years ago. I’m going to restrict your lifestyle and set a curfew because it is not the way it is supposed to be. Also, I bombed part of your house when I forced my way in and took your pet dog as a casualty. Sorry–it’s for your own good (snicker, snicker). Ah, your sister looks nice. Your uncle–oh no, he plotting against me. My men are going to lock him up and torture him because he wears funny clothing and prays silently. Your uncle is a terrorist. Sorry–it’s for your own good. Don’t worry, we’ll send him off to a remote island where we can torture him and you won’t know about it. Out of sight out of mind (snicker, snicker). Oh, and I’m going to monitor your calls, internet and TV viewing. Listen, you’ll get your house back when you comply with my beliefs. Never go against me. Don’t dare. I am more powerful than you. I will take you out like your brothers. I’ll let some savage men hang around your sister. Don’t fuck with me and everything will be alright. Got that. hahahah. Let’s shake on it. Ahhh, my dick is getting hard… have anything to eat around here?…
Secrecy is the word of the day for the Bush-Cheney Administration. Secret torture prisons, secret domestic spying and secret cost of the war. All of this secrecy is designed to eliminate intelligent, reasoned debate on the Iraq War. The budget is a fraud without the cost of the War in it.
The GOP should be held accountable for this in the Fall Elections.
What kills me is they are suppose to be Republicans – you know tight with money, fiscally conservitive, against big G.
Or is that tight with their money?
Now we have an administration that has powers that Nixion only dreamed of.
I was wondering when someone would apologize for plausible deniability.
By bringing up this kind of thing you are helping the terrorists. A real loyal American would never contradict the president. Dubya is by definition infallible. We are the ones who are wrong. When we give up our own individuality we will truly be free to act and believe as Dubya wants us to. Don’t ask annoying questions. You wouldn’t want to end up going hunting with Dick Cheney.
Where did the $400 Million number come from?
The Pentagon declassifies and releases documents from Saddam’s regime, and you’re interested in how much the war cost? Ever heard of the term sunk costs? What matters is the cost going forward, and what is being achieved. Those documents that are released are showing some strong WMD proof, but I guess you’re too committed to believe anythign like that.
AB CD: the Pentagon must be charging a billion dollars per document.
I must say,
That I didnt see anyone mention…MONEY..Who is paying for it, and how much is going to BIG business’s…FROM OUR POCKETS.
Amazing…
History:
1400-1500 we Made aLOT of war in the middle east…Called the Crusades…remember…and they have a VERY long memory.
1800-1900’s we went down and found OIL. Until OPEC, we were ROBBING every nation Over there. THEN we started paying the Kings MORE money to SHUTUP..
I will let you look up the EARLY 1900’s and how Europe and US, REPLACED most tf the rulers with figure heads and TURKS.
1980’s and a WAR with the Afghans and Russia..we didnt get involved?? We supplied Afghans with Money, weapons, and TRAINING and 1 PROMISE…we WOULD rebuild after the War…
1990 war ended, Russia is Kaput, and they ASKED us to help rebuild..
And GUESS WHO, said ‘NO’…
1991?, WTB was bomb..
10 years later, GUESS who is in office…and what happened AGAIN..
And sence we are over there…lets check on Iraq…for compliance with the LAST war.. And Sadam, says ‘NOPE’…and we invade.
We fought Iraq in the FIRST place because we were ASKED, with concessions from Kiawait. WHy did we go in THIS TIME??
Sorry to say, but I THINK we can notice radio active materials from Sat images…we DID with the other countries in THAT area.. Why not invade India, pakistan, Korea, and ALL the rest..?? They have the SAME if NOT better stuff…
conclusion:
Im not worried about Radio active materials, LEt them ALL glow in the dark..If we cant find them coming into this country…IT OUR FAULT..
I worry if they start testing ICBM’s..intercontinental balistic missles..
We could have paid ALOT less on this war, if we would have SET up BETTER controls of incoming Goods and materials.
When asked about protecting the US from incoming Materials, and attacks, it was noted that we could only get about 10% protection.
And, because we’re paying for this war on credit, shouldn’t the real staed cost be doubled? If we’re paying for it with T-Bills?
Isn’t that the basic formula? When a government program is payed for with treasury bills, it approximately doubles the cost?
Correct me if I’ wrong.
We could do a Corp, turn around..
fire all our major suppliers, and dump all the pensions…
Probably save about 1/2…
I would like to say a couple things about the incident of 911.
the Terrorists were stupid, ignorant, grandiose and abit OFF, if they REALLY wanted to commit terror on this nation.
The targets were NOT the easiest to hit.
The planning took to much.
There are Easier targets, that would have had LESS chance of there OWN deaths, so as they could continue with MORE terror.
Suicide dont impress as much as 1 person Killing and not being found. Thats SNEAKY.