[lbo-talk] in case you didn't know...

[Jim Devine]

from the WaPo's SLATE news summary: >USA Today leads with the director
of the U.S. reconstruction program in Iraq saying that the Iraqi
government should no longer count on American money to complete the
country's rebuilding. Iraq must now fund the projects itself, or find
money from other countries. While it is giving up on money for
reconstruction, the Bush administration continues to request
significant sums to build large bases in Iraq, and that is raising
concerns about whether they are being thought of as permanent
outposts, reports the Los Angeles Times in its lead story. ...


>The United States is winding down its rebuilding programs in Iraq,
which, according to one expert, have been a "dismal failure" that have
"left a legacy of half-built projects." One of the goals was to create
jobs for 1.5 million Iraqis, but USAID said last week they've only
managed to get to 77,000.


>Although the House of Representatives approved the money for the
bases, which was included in the general war funding, congressional
leaders are now asking for explanations on why they are needed. Some
lawmakers fear that they could further incite terrorism, since it
might help to confirm theories that the United States plans to have a
permanent presence in the country for economic reasons.<

here's an idea: turn all of Iraq into one big military base. That
would rebuild the country and provide a lot of jobs. Dare to be great,
Dubya!
--
Jim Devine / "There can be no real individual freedom in the presence
of economic insecurity." -- Chester Bowles