Rumsfeld on eve of Iraq war: ‘If you think we’re going to spend’ $1 billion in Iraq, ‘you’re sadly mistaken.’
Rumsfeld on eve of Iraq war: ‘If you think we’re going to spend’ $1 billion in Iraq, ‘you’re sadly mistaken.’
A scathing new report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction calls the reconstruction effort “a $100 billion failure,” according to the New York Times, which obtained an advanced copy. It documents how the Pentagon “simply put out inflated measures of progress to cover up” failures. It also reveals how officials were “operating by the seat of their pants,” documenting one exchange between Jay Garner, then-head of the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, and then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, on the potential cost of the reconstruction:
The history records how Mr. Garner presented Mr. Rumsfeld with several rebuilding plans, including one that would include projects across Iraq.
“What do you think that’ll cost?” Mr. Rumsfeld asked of the more expansive plan.
“I think it’s going to cost billions of dollars,” Mr. Garner said.
“My friend,” Mr. Rumsfeld replied, “if you think we’re going to spend a billion dollars of our money over there, you are sadly mistaken.”
“The bitterest message” of the report, the Times notes, is that, for all the billions spent on Iraq reconstruction, “the rebuilding effort never did much more than restore what was destroyed during the invasion and the convulsive looting that followed.”
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I am sure when Rumsfeld made this statement he wasn’t talking about taxpayer money, but the money of his and his scum sucking profiteers. He was sure they would all make billions off of this.
Then again, it could just be another of his completely misinformed and asinine predictions. Is he underhanded or just stupid? Or both?
December 13th, 2008 at 9:43 pmMy friend,” Mr. Rumsfeld replied, “if you think we’re going to spend a billion dollars of our money over there, you are sadly mistaken. Come back when you have a plan that will cost a trillion dollars.”
December 13th, 2008 at 9:48 pm“Rumsfeld on eve of Iraq war: ‘If you think we’re going to spend’ $1 billion in Iraq, ‘you’re sadly mistaken.’”
Rummy belongs in a nursing home. Memo to Rummy: We wouldn’t be spending a dime on the Iraq war if this was really a war when in fact this was an invasion for oil and profits. You certainly filled your pockets, Rummy. Amazing how crooks like Rummy, who had a warrant for his arrest overseas, are allowed airtime.
December 13th, 2008 at 10:03 pm“the rebuilding effort never did much more than restore what was destroyed during the invasion and the convulsive looting that followed.”
_____________
Geez… did it even do that much??
Huh??? Oh, my bad… I thought that line referred to THIS country, and not Iraq…
If the Iraqis got that much out of the deal, they’re doing better than we did.
December 13th, 2008 at 10:03 pmRumsfeld and the rest of the neocon Zionists were all wrong.
December 13th, 2008 at 10:04 pmSP Biloxi Says:
Rummy belongs in a nursing home.
____________
Excuuuuuuuuse meeeeeeee… but Rummy dunnit belong in a rest home, pal.
He belongs in a prison cell…
December 13th, 2008 at 10:05 pm“our money”? As in the “taxpayer’s money”? Yeah, thanks a lot for that Rummy, you jerk. How could the Bushco’s have any idea what it would have cost when they had no idea what they were really getting into in the first place and no exit strategy to get out? Any thing he would have uttered would have just been another blatant lie.
December 13th, 2008 at 10:31 pmIf Rummy had managed my 401K, I would be selling apples (Not the computer) now.
December 13th, 2008 at 10:37 pmRummy can play any game he wants he’s still going to jail. I know the US protect Politicial criminals but the United Nations and the other countries are waiting.
December 13th, 2008 at 10:37 pmDumb Questions:
Does this include the projects that were so badly botched that they were abandoned – not in midstream but only after there were massive cost overruns and they still weren’t anywhere close to useable ?
Does this include the electrical blackouts and water that isn’t drinkable ?
Am I right that this doesn’t include the contaminated water on military bases?
Does it also not include the work done on military bases (so there was some possible military oversight) where the smart contractors connected the wires to the shower drains ?
December 13th, 2008 at 10:58 pmRummy’s no idiot… but he plays one on TV.
December 13th, 2008 at 11:01 pm“The war will pay for itself!” (not that it matters)
–stupidest hillbilly on earth.
December 13th, 2008 at 11:15 pmThis was all about stopping the production of oil for the masters and their surrogates – including Rummy, Bush, Chenney. There is money to be made when the flow of oil is impeded. Mission Accomplished! And screw all the people!
December 13th, 2008 at 11:46 pmRummy and his fellow neo-con scum could look at a Soviet ground radar and see an advanced laser weapon. I suspect he believes that whatever he wants or thinks should be true is true. What he/they want to believe is generally bizarre and paranoid if it’s about one of their many enemies and mystically cinch-y if it concerns their own activity.
We have been ruled by insanity for eight years. Hopefully, Americans will start to see how crazy it has been and start to wonder what “facts” are all about.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:08 amThe Republic of Stupidity Says:
His resting home is his prison cell.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:29 amI’m a Jewish citizen of Israel, who is a life long Liberal, willing to give up on all the occupied territories, and supported Obama from day one. Being a “Zionists” doesn’t make you automatically Republican or neocon, and you may want to come and live here for a few months, see how it is to live in constant fear of being exterminated again, and maybe you’ll learn something.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:59 amYeah, but KBR, Halliburton and Blackwater made billions, so what’s the problem?
December 14th, 2008 at 2:09 amGuido the Loving OBGYN Says:
Building imaginary infrastructure in Mideast Sh!tholes on the backs of American workers.
T-R-E-A-S-O-N
What happened to the idiotic theme park?
The overpriced fort should be used to the Iraqis advantage.
chimpy is determined to kill our beloved US. President-ELECT Obama should realize chimpy will make his transition as hard as possible. He’s the devil.
This is a side note: mooseyak church burned down
December 14th, 2008 at 2:28 amThat statement goes along with so many. Let’s see, the oil money in Iraq will pay for the war. It will be over in six weeks not six months. We will be greeted as liberators with flowers. Weapons of mass destruction. Then when there were no weapons, we were supposedly there to help them change politically. Then as soon as they got a constitution they didn’t want, we would go. It is because of 9/11. Then it was not 9/11. We would not need 200-300,000 troops. We need a surge we don’t have enough men. Rumsfeld,”you go to war with what you have, not necessarily what you want.”
Dumb old me. I thought you planned for a war, I thought you planned for the end of war. I thought that at the very least you would read a little and try to understand your supposed enemy. I also read historically that you raised taxes to fight a war. At least by selling bonds. I thought you geared up your factories and resources to make enough materials like armored vehicles, body armor, decent food etc. Shows you how stupid I am. Mostly though I thought you waited till you were attacked or war was declared on your country. I understood we did not torture or occupy. I was wrong. That must have been some other country.
December 14th, 2008 at 2:31 amIf it wans’t sad enough, the word FIASCO could be laughble… but after 4209 dead american soldiers, two million dead iraqui civilians, two million displaced iraquis, no WMD, no conection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11 (It was an inside job), an eocnomy in shambles… these criminals must be held accountable. If the USA ever get serious about restoring its international image! HAGUE 2009 for the entire Bush Administration criminals!
December 14th, 2008 at 2:34 amiamwhoiam Says:
Rumsfeld and the rest of the neocon Zionists were all wrong
I’m a Jewish citizen of Israel, who is a life long Liberal, willing to give up on all the occupied territories, and supported Obama from day one. Being a “Zionists” doesn’t make you automatically Republican or neocon, and you may want to come and live here for a few months, see how it is to live in constant fear of being exterminated again, and maybe you’ll learn something.
You poor thing. This is what happens when Israel has nukes and the indigenous people don’t. I don’t feel sorry for your ass at all. Israel treat Palenstians like trash. If it weren’t for the US helping Israel, Israel would have to find new land to steal after WWII.
Liberal my ass.
MOVE.
December 14th, 2008 at 2:35 amcurious@21
Don’t forget the sneak attacks (shock and awe)
The “surge” was to protect a sheik and his family.
Torture was used at their pleasure
Geneva Conventions were trashed by chimpy
If any country believes in freedom please impeach chimpy and his gang because one woman from the US, pelosi, chose not to follow our wishes. Which makes her complicit.
Thanking you in advance.
December 14th, 2008 at 2:48 amI guess in your sick mind the Holocaust didn’t happen, ah? You’re no better than all those neocons you hate so much. In fact, you’re worse. At least they are what they are. You’re just pretending.
December 14th, 2008 at 2:50 amDang. Talk about pretending…
December 14th, 2008 at 3:52 amNo you are worse.
I don’t live in fear of my neighbors because I stolen their land.
I bet to you the holocaust is the only hell that matters.
Look how you are living. You say you will give back their land but you don’t. All talk.
Yeah, you are the type who thinks you are doing good by teaching the Palestinians a lesson.
Get lost you loser.
December 14th, 2008 at 3:53 amrumsfeld..’ ought to be sued..should spend the rest of your life in Iraq..
you sent in our soldiers without preparing for the battles, and the threats, they were facing…here is one from “yahoo.com”. The hardest thing to say, is he knew it too, just like the walter reed hospital scandal also..not equipped to handle all our soldiers, PTSD, psychological problems, or problems facing our soldiers from the untested vaccines they pumped into all our soldiers..radioactive munitions…contaminated battlefield…check out the dvd movie, ..”beyond treason”….our young men and women..
“Pentagon faulted for not preparing for roadside bomb threat”
The US Defense Department knew years before insurgent actions began in Iraq of the threat posed by roadside bombs but failed to take available steps to mitigate the risk to US troops, a Pentagon audit concluded Tuesday.
December 14th, 2008 at 4:17 amThe US Marine Corps asked the Pentagon’s inspector general to perform the audit after coming under fire for setting aside an urgent request from field commanders in 2005 for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicles.
“DoD (Department of Defense) was aware of the threat posed by mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in low-intensity conflicts and of the availability of mine-resistant vehicles years before insurgent actions began in Iraq in 2003,” the audit found.
Game of Life Says:
I don’t live in fear of my neighbors because I stolen their land.
Let’s not get too Self Righteous here.
The people whose land WE stole (Native Americans) were largely wiped out by Genocide and de facto Biological Warefare a Long Time ago.
All we have to fear from them is our National Conscience.
I do agree that Israel should stay on their side of the border and treat their neighbors like human beings.
December 14th, 2008 at 6:24 amThe French have a word for this–sottise.
Sottise is a sort of militant stupidity. I think we can all agree this is a central characteristic of today’s Republicans.
And now…Ann Coulter with her Jaw Wired Shut:
December 14th, 2008 at 6:50 amhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFhy7S2WFPA
I don’t know how much longer we can continue to beat this dead horse. Everyone knows by now that the Bushco, Cheney brain, Rummy Dumb-Dumb alliance was vile and corrupt. It falls upon all of us to look forward and attempt to undo as much of this ugly past as we can.
A large part of the current problem revolves around avoiding the responsibilities we have by digressing into talk of Israel, nukes and the halocaust. If we don’t make every effort to stay relevant, we will be just as irrelevant as Rummy. Get with the program or be quiet.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:01 amA large part of the current problem revolves around avoiding the responsibilities we have
Stop right there.
By avoiding the responsibilities of looking to stop criminally corrupt behavior by the highest elected officials, YOU’RE the biggest part of the problem.
Moving forward means healing, and healing involves “righting the wrongs”.
As for the Holocaust, didn’t the U.S. and it’s allies finally come to the rescue of the Jews?
I thought so. And so it continues.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:11 am“My friend,” Mr. Rumsfeld replied, “if you think we’re going to spend a billion dollars of our money over there, you are sadly mistaken.”
I wonder what form the denial will take. “Never said it” or “out of context”.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:19 am“[I]f you think we’re going to spend a billion dollars of our money over there, you are sadly mistaken.” – Dummy…uh…Rummy
Yup! It’s more like $1 TRILLION at this point.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:28 amMatt Taibbi had documented much of this in Rolling Stone Magazine over a year ago.
The Great Iraq Swindle
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/16076312/the_great_iraq_swindle
Mr. Taibbi sums it up…
“The Bush administration’s lack of interest in recovering stolen funds is one of the great scandals of the war. The White House has failed to litigate a single case against a contractor under the False Claims Act and has not sued anybody for breach of contract. It even declined to join in a lawsuit filed by whistle-blowers who are accusing KBR of improper invoicing in Fallujah. “For all the Bush administration claims to do in the war against terrorism,” Grayson said in congressional testimony, “it is a no-show in the war against war profiteers.” In nearly five years of some of the worst graft and looting in American history, the administration has recovered less than $6 million.”
December 14th, 2008 at 9:02 amHeckuva job, mission accomplished.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:04 amI wonder what “role” neocons like Rumsfeld would have played in a McCain Administration? Just like Bush resurrected old, tired Reagan retreads; McCain would have surely dusted off and recycled disturbed and pathological artifacts like Perle, Rumsfeld, Bremer, and even Feith in all their glory and celebrated success.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:10 amDNFP
Either you did not hear what I said, removed it from its context completely or simply could not wait to change the subject and blow your own horn. You have made my point, nicely.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:33 amRE: Rumsfeld belongs in a nursing home…WRONG He belongs in prison for the rest of his life.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:51 amiamwhoiam Says: “I guess in your sick mind the Holocaust didn’t happen, ah? ”
I am so damn tired of israelis using this line of reasoning everytime someone questions the policies of israel. you know what, assclown? for the past eight years i have been questioning and criticizing the policies of my own government…but that doesn’t make me anti-american. no more than questioning the policies of israel makes me anti-semitic.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:14 amIn my opinion, every person in Government or on the outside, who received or took money or goods that he/she was not entitle to will receive 11 days after Mr. Obama is sworn into the office of the PRESIDENT of the USA (February 1st. 2009) to return the loot and will get an immunity from persecution…All others will be send to Gitmo to wait for their trial.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:20 amNow I am talking about $250-$500 billions and this is a conservative numbers.
I wish our next President, Mr. Obama, all the successes to get this country back to prosperity.
Y. Manor
I guess he was right, it wasn’t one billion.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:33 amAll things considered, it’s three thousand billion dollars and counting. Not to mention 1,204,209 lives, five million refugees, one in eight Iraqi children dead before the age of five, a gift to bin Laden, and a less secure Middle East. And the worst US economy since the Great Depression.
December 14th, 2008 at 5:09 pmDear Santa,
December 14th, 2008 at 11:16 pmFor Christmas this year, I only want one thing. By the way thanks for the bike and the red wagon a few years back; they were the best of times. Speaking of best of times, or lack thereof; my best most wanted wish in the whole world for this Christmas if you could please see that Mr. Rumfeld (he’s been naughty not nice) is sent to jail for those terrible terrible mean tortures things he did. I know there were others (bullys all of them) that helped him in that terrible horrible torture thing; but, if you just sent him to jail (with a bow), that would be the most wonderful present ever.
Thank you and Merry Christmas
Tony
Well, you WERE sadly mistaken. We did NOT spend $1 billion on the Iraq War, and Rumsfeld said we wouldn’t. Instead, we spent $100 billion. 1 billion clearly does not equal 100 billion.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:34 am