Bush administration blackmailing Iraq over long-term military agreement.
Bush administration blackmailing Iraq over long-term military agreement.
Yesterday, the UK Independent reported that the Bush administration is trying to push a secret deal to “perpetuate the American military occupation of Iraq indefinitely.” Today, the paper has more troubling details about the Bush administration’s shady tactics:
The US is holding hostage some $50bn (£25bn) of Iraq’s money in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to pressure the Iraqi government into signing an agreement seen by many Iraqis as prolonging the US occupation indefinitely, according to information leaked to The Independent.
US negotiators are using the existence of $20bn in outstanding court judgments against Iraq in the US, to pressure their Iraqi counterparts into accepting the terms of the military deal.
The Bush administration is arguing that some of the Iraqi funds would lose immunity protection if the U.N. mandate “is not replaced by the new agreement.” But the Washington Post reports today that the Iraqi government may request an extension of the mandate. Juan Cole and Spencer Ackerman have more.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Criminal activity by this administration? No? Really?
I wonder if we can try them under RICO. Add that to the many other crimes.
What an embarrassment to this entire nation what is being done in our name.
June 6th, 2008 at 9:52 amSo much for setting up a government that can handle its own affairs. That never was the point of the occupation. The point of the occupation, is to have an occupation!!!!
This is a cash grab!
June 6th, 2008 at 9:58 amextortion and blackmail are two of the only tactics these sick bastards understand. Just like they extorted votes out of congress by making them afraid of looking “soft on terra” etc.
Oh for the love of…can we please fast forward to 1/20/09?
June 6th, 2008 at 10:02 amWhy is TP tolerating spam (advertising) on its threads?
June 6th, 2008 at 10:03 amWhoop. Nevermind, posted after the fact.
June 6th, 2008 at 10:05 amRemember the old saying, “if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck … .” The Bush Administration acts like an organized crime family, blackmails other countries, fosters public corruption, ignores international law, tortures prisoners … .
June 6th, 2008 at 10:08 amThere’s got to be a line drawn somewhere.
I think that holding another country’s funds hostage is justified in some cases — for example, if that other country has kidnapped and is holding Americans hostage, or if that other country has openly threatened another. This would be preferable to more violent alternatives.
However, in this case we are basically holding the money hostage to force another country into allowing us to continue raping and pillaging them. This has to violate the values of all but the most morally astray individuals.
I’m no expert in international law, but IS there a line drawn somewhere?
June 6th, 2008 at 10:08 amBush is trying to force his unwanted ‘legacy’ on the AMerican people who have continued to reject it.
January 2009 cannot come soon enough!
June 6th, 2008 at 10:09 amWell, so much for the ‘Restore dignity to the White House’ administration. This Administration proves, over and over, that morals, scruples, honesty and responsibility are merely words in the dictionary to them. They seem to move at Hyprociracy Factor 9.5 at all times. It’s bad enough that we’re fighting the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, but we’re robbing the people who’se nation we so thouroughly destroyed! So much for Christian kindness! Lord, please let 1/20/09 come soonest!
June 6th, 2008 at 10:11 amImpeach Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!!!
McWars Says
June 6th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Why is TP tolerating spam (advertising) on its threads?
______________________________________________
I don’t think they do — it disappears pretty quickly (maybe because I flag it quickly, but I think they would get rid of it even without my flag).
When I flagged today, I requested this poster be banned completely. This isn’t the first time he/she has done this.
June 6th, 2008 at 10:11 amAbu Ben Hussein Leporello Says
June 6th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Well, so much for the ‘Restore dignity to the White House’ administration. This Administration proves, over and over, that morals, scruples, honesty and responsibility are merely words in the dictionary to them.
______________________________________________
Oh, c’mon — you KNOW that the only thing that “restore dignity to the White House” means is “I promise I won’t get BJs from interns in the Oval Office.”
And Bush’s supporters seem to be OK with this. Oral sex is a FAR greater offense than lying to get into a war, looting another country to take care of political friends, fixing elections, spitting on Congress, spying on Americans, etc. etc.
/snark off
June 6th, 2008 at 10:15 amSo? If Shrimpy signs a deal, the next president could nullify it. Plus the Iraqis aren’t going to allow this to happen. Withhold money?!? Oh, good heavens! It’s not like they don’t need MORE than the withheld amount to rebuild their own country. And despite our neutered Congress, wouldn’t they have to have some say in this? Could they send a sternly-written letter?
June 6th, 2008 at 10:15 amAnd why would any Iraqi ‘leader’ sign this anyway? It’s Things might change in, oh…a few months…
June 6th, 2008 at 10:17 amBlackmail is their m.o. They blackmail individuals, they blackmail institutions, and they blackmail other countries. I have no doubt that the coming years will reveal Karl Rove to be a J. Edgar Hoover-type, misusing his position to gather evidence about people’s private lives, then blackmail them with it.
Count on it, rogers. A day will come when you LIE about having supported Bush, too ashamed to admit it.
June 6th, 2008 at 10:18 amThis administration doesn’t care if other countries don’t like their tactics. If they don’t get their way, any extreme measure is used to insure it. This is just another example of that.
June 6th, 2008 at 10:20 amUgh! I don’t want to wish my life away, but I want this administration over. These people are completely without morals or values. This is why Obama must be elected in November. We cannot have Bushlite in the WH.
June 6th, 2008 at 10:21 amVerbalKint, at this point, the only people supporting Bush are either;
1. Paid,
2. Government operatives,
3. The people in this country who have successfully been dumbed down over many years,
4. Greedy, uber wealthy people who don’t have enough and never will.
That’s it. I’d say I wonder where Rogers fits in, but honestly, I don’t. Fu(k him.
June 6th, 2008 at 10:23 amCan there now be ANY doubt that the Maliki government is a puppet regime of the Bushitler regime?
Vichy anyone?
June 6th, 2008 at 10:25 amLemme get this straight. The war and occupation has cost the taxpayer around a trillion dollars (Stiglitz estimate).
But we will threaten to withold or confiscate 50 billion from the Iraqis to ensure we can spend, what, another trillion?
Maybe it’s imperialism, it sounds utterly retarded (and obviously corrupt).
June 6th, 2008 at 10:38 amYou can fool some of the people all of the time.
Rogers is one of those…wadda skeevy fock!
June 6th, 2008 at 10:44 amAny agreement made by Bush can be undone by Obama.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:05 amThank God for that, WaltB. Now let’s get him elected!
June 6th, 2008 at 11:08 amrogers Says:
——————————————————————————–
Wow, some “secret deal”, huh?..
“President Bush on Monday signed a deal setting the foundation for a potential long-term U.S. troop presence in Iraq”
Praytell then Rogerdodger. Give us the specifics that contradict the assertion that the negotiations are secret, and that Bushco is not holding Iraq hostage.
Not holding my breath.
I would like to apologize ahead of time for subjecting the rest of TP readers to more of the same from our leading drooling tool.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:11 amCrooks doing business crookedly? We’re shocked!
June 6th, 2008 at 11:14 amGod, I’m so utterly sick of these miserable evil barstids.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:16 amYes, and Iraq is a soverieg……….BWAHAHAAH! I just can’t finish it!
June 6th, 2008 at 11:23 amRUCerious, I’m glad I didn’t have a mouthful of coffee when I read that. :D
June 6th, 2008 at 11:42 amHow come the UK Independent knows more about what the US government is doing than, say, the NYT or WPO?
Maybe they’re not afraid to report it.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:54 amWaltB Says:
——————————————————————————–
Any agreement made by Bush can be undone by Obama.
There’s alot of undoing to do.
June 6th, 2008 at 12:14 pmHey, Georgie Boy, got a question for you.
You keep insisting this military “agreement” isn’t a treaty, so Congress doesn’t have to approve it.
How do plan to pay for your new bases? The ones you need to protect the oil fields? Out of your ill-gotten gains from oil speculation and war profiteering? Because you can bet as long as Congress is controlled by the Democrats (as opposed to your lapdog Republicans who put loyalty to the party ahead of loyalty to this country), the funds will never be approved.
June 6th, 2008 at 12:34 pmDubya is truly the devil incarnate!
June 6th, 2008 at 12:37 pmMornin’ Jane! How’s Wayne doin?
June 6th, 2008 at 12:49 pmThis does not surprise me.
GeeDubs Says:
It’s called a life insurance policy. Once the US occupation ends, al-Maliki is toast.
-AF
June 6th, 2008 at 2:20 pmAndrew Sullivan Is A Fraud
The only thing this administration is familiar with is Blackmail, extortion and corruption…..
June 7th, 2008 at 9:33 am