quote:

Before joining the Bush administration, Natsios was chairman and chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, where he managed the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, or “Big Dig.” He also served 12 years in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Unquote:

Need I say any more!

I’m convinced that his $1.7 billion estimate was driven by 2 factors: First, the low-ball talking points of the administration and second, his own experience and beliefs. Natsios always told us that there was a community of reconstruction experts out there — the NGOs — and that smart government officials and smart Army Civil Affairs officers would simply get out of their way. That was the model the Army had followed in Northern Iraq, in Somalia (before the mission was changed), in sub-Saharan Africa, in the Balkans, etc. An expectation that that model would have been followed in Iraq was reasonable, particularly given the early BushCo statements that the U.S. would not “do” nation-building — who would, then? The NGOs who do it best.

Natsios takes humanitarian relief and reconstruction very seriously. He was no crony hire — he’s one of the most experienced folks out there in that field (see his book on the North Korean famine). Most importantly, he takes seriously the belief that you don’t use humanitarian aid and reconstruction funding as a “carrot” in carrot-and-stick diplomacy — you just do them.

I despise the Bushies just as a matter of principle. But I’ll make an exception for Natsios because he’s not a Bushie and he is a pro — I learned an awful lot from him and am proud to be able to say I was led by him.

By way of Mr. Natsios’s interview with Ted Koppel, he is either (a) an incompetent fool or (b) a liar. Take your pick. Someone in his line of business had to have known it would cost more then that.

If you need a better explanation, watch this video I put together:

http://www.revver.com/video/5120/

Comment by Pablo in Mexico

Mierda de Bull

1. USAID is about a lot more than Iraq. While USAID is knee deep in it there (which, in comparative terms, ain’t bad), it has actually been something of a relative bright light for this administration. (Key word, admittedly: RELATIVE)

2. Since its not my intention to be damning with faint praise, I do think its unfair to cast Natsios as a Brown-like hack. He came from a development background. He added to the debate over development in a serious way.

3. Look – he’d been there for five years. It is far from the norm to stay more than presidential term. Don’t read too much into his leaving.

They still have no idea where it went, what it was spent on, and how many duffle bags of cash went to such people as Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc.

Now, and speaking from experience, I know how good the CIA is at making money “disappear”. They did it in Vietname and Central America. The CIA takes the first two duffle bags and the others steal what they can get their hands on.

David B

Want a good laugh? Check out the ‘World Aids Day’ video here:

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/index.jhtml

…and wait for the joke about 3 minutes in…hilarious.