A Half-Billion Dollar Path To Peace
Reuters reports a BushCo deal to sell Iraq 400 million rounds of ammunition for a proposed cost of $500 million.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the Iraqi government had asked for up to 100 million rounds of both M855 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition for small arms, as well as about 200 million other bullets.
"This proposed sale directly supports the Iraqi government and serves the interests of the Iraqi people and the U.S., as well as offering hope for a more stable and peaceful Middle East," said the agency that handles government-to-government arms sales.
The package would help Iraqi forces "sustain themselves in their efforts to bring stability to the country and prevent overflow of unrest into neighboring countries," a statement said.
Where did the money come from? Iraq’s economy is trashed, the people don’t even have water or electricity, how can the government extract taxes from am impoverished and besieged people? Maybe their buying the bullets with all the millions of wasted and missing money the bush administration lost last year. That would explain much.
And really -
The notice of a proposed sale is required by law. Congress has the power to reject it. The deal could be worth up to $508 million if all options are exercised.
As part of the proposed package, the United States would sell 170,000 40mm HEDP grenades, 80,000 C-4 1-1/4 pound plastic explosive packets and 4.2 million feet of detonating cord.
The deal would also involve up to 75 million gallons (341 million liters) of diesel, 2.9 million gallons (13 million liters) of JP-8 jet fuel and 56.4 million gallons (256 million liters) of motor gasoline, the statement said.
The administration, in a separate notice to lawmakers, proposed to sell to Turkey Raytheon Co.-built AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and related gear valued at up to $71 million if all options are exercised.
- is this the path to peace? I supposed of they’re all dead, rotting in the desert sand and feeding the vultures, it would get mighty peaceful for a while. Later, after a few sandstorms bury the corpses, Exxon-Mobil-Connoco-Phillips-Citgo can move in and - using US troops as industrial security - pump all the oil from the dead ground. In a millions years or two, all the dead Iraqis will become another layer of petroleum themselves. Let the circle be unbroken…
Ahh …the inverse verbosity of the Bush administration: failure equals progress, war equals peace, culture of life equals Department of Defense, Department of Justice equals political cronyism, clean air act equals relaxed pollution controls, patriot act equals erosion of freedom… Had enough yet?