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Saudi says Iraq pay-off could avoid bloodshed

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NNN0LHI

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Sun Apr-25-04 01:32 PM
Original message

Saudi says Iraq pay-off could avoid bloodshed

Edited on Sun Apr-25-04 01:33 PM by NNN0LHI

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N25572183.htm

WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - The Bush administration might have avoided a deadly insurgency in Iraq by buying the loyalty of its former military for about $200 million, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States said on Sunday.

But Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan declined to say whether he had actually advised U.S. President George W. Bush to offer former members of Saddam Hussein's military three months' pay in exchange for their services in securing Iraq.

Bandar was asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" whether journalist Bob Woodward was correct when he said that Bandar had advised Bush to take $200 million and "buy off, in effect, the Iraqi army."

Bandar replied: "I don't talk about my conversations with the president ... but I believe that would have been the right way to go." snip

Woodward noted that the war is costing the United States $5 billion per month.

more

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DAGDA56

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Sun Apr-25-04 01:39 PM
Response to Original message

1. I remember hearing something like this shortly after the March 2003...

...invasion. The idea being that enough money was spread around among the top Iraqui military to effectively buy a quick initial victory. Is it possible not everybody got paid off?

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IndianaGreen

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Sun Apr-25-04 01:42 PM
Response to Reply #1

3. No, we just did not pay the troops their salaries

I am speaking of the Iraqi grunts who demonstrated for their wages in Baghdad. They hadn't been paid in weeks (as teachers and other civil servants).

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IndianaGreen

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Sun Apr-25-04 01:39 PM
Response to Original message

2. Fact: Paul Bremer fired the entire Iraqi military

Even Jay Garner, the man that Bremer replaced, thought that Bremer's idea was a stupid idea.

Another fact: Paul Bremer closed down a Shia newspaper run by al-Sadr. All of the demonstrations, riots, and violence that ensued involving the US and the Shias rose from that one act of Bremer's.

Question: What is the common denominator in all of this?

Answer: Paul Bremer.

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thebigidea

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Sun Apr-25-04 01:44 PM
Response to Reply #2

4. who must be thinkin': "Exit, stage left... stage right, even!"

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PurityOfEssence

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Sun Apr-25-04 01:49 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. Snaggletruth exits stage right...

You'd think this mob would know how to bribe properly...

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w4rma

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Sun Apr-25-04 01:51 PM
Response to Reply #4

6. No kidding. (nt)

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aquart

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Sun Apr-25-04 04:12 PM
Response to Reply #6

13. Perhaps they only know how to TAKE a bribe.

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leftchick

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Sun Apr-25-04 03:43 PM
Response to Reply #2

11. bremer closed the newspaper on the advice of this fellow....

Suprise...

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IndianaGreen

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Sun Apr-25-04 04:04 PM
Response to Reply #11

12. Aaaarrrggghhhh!!!!!!!!

Chalabi scum!!!!!

:puke:

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KittyWampus

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Sun Apr-25-04 04:19 PM
Response to Reply #11

14. And Bremer Disbanded The Military & Police On Chalabi's Advise

A report was drawn up prior to Iraq Invasion by experts familiar with the country and they specifically recommended leaving military and police intact- just purging the worst offenders.

But Bush Co. took advise from Chalabi.

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0007

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Sun Apr-25-04 05:15 PM
Response to Reply #11

17. Walking dead man!!

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saracat

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Sun Apr-25-04 01:54 PM
Response to Original message

7. I said something similar to that

before we went to IWAR. I said it would be cheaper to "BUY the friggin country" and people said I was nuts.It would have been both cheaper and more honest.But then we wouldn't have work for all those Haliburton employees!

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cliss

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Sun Apr-25-04 01:59 PM
Response to Original message

8. A little financial analysis should show

that we could have saved ourselves billions by paying off the former military which were later fired. Out of work and out of patience, these men were probably responsible (and still will be) for the deaths of many.

The issue probably came up. It would have been easy. I can visualize Adnan Khashoggi & Richard Perle interrupting and saying, "what about us? We're major arms dealers, and it's not going to be quite so easy." We need a REAL war, lots of bombs dropped and bullets flying. GE agrees.

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KissMyAsscroft

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Sun Apr-25-04 02:09 PM
Response to Original message

9. This war was about WAR.

This war was just as much a business venture as a national security "effort"

That the Vice President comes from Halliburton who is rebuilding what the AMerican government destroys is all the proof anyone should need..

So here's how the game works...

1) taxpayer funded war machine knocks down buildings..

2) private companies rebuild for massive profit

3) Cheney and his buddies cut taxes therebye enriching his friends..

Cheney secures the "American dream" for his white corporate friends and ensures the "American Century"..

We break it and rebuild it, and they get profits on both sides.

Nice racket, eh?

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lanlady

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Sun Apr-25-04 02:12 PM
Response to Original message

10. and even more would have been avoided

if the Saudi royals had not actively colluded in the invasion of a fellow Arab state.

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daleo

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Sun Apr-25-04 04:30 PM
Response to Original message

15. This sounds like revisionist propaganda to me

Another way of saying that the resistance to occupation is not legitimate - it is only there because Bushco neglected to realize a few hundred million dollars in bribes would have bought it off. It is a way of claiming that the mistake of the war was tactical rather than strategic, which is not the case. People who are, at heart, corrupt always assume everybody else is too.

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tedzbear

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Sun Apr-25-04 05:05 PM
Response to Reply #15

16. Of course the corrupt, two faced Saudi royalty would promote bribes.

How do you think they stay in business?

Come on, guys. Where's our integrity? Bribes do not create democracy.

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