Now that the tragic conflict in Iraq appears to be winding down and the Iraqi government, in typically Middle Eastern smooth terms, has suggested we get the hell out of their country, might we not start sending some invoices to them and their neighbors for our services rendered to recover some of the trillion or so that just covers what we know has been sent?
Certainly, after we have spent, sacrificed and paid with the lives of recruited men and women, it would seem we have a right also to get at least a hundred billion dollars in return from the Iraqis, Kuwaits and Saudis who have been pretty much defended by our forces.
But, beyond that, the many private contractors who profiteered on the endless war would seem to have some responsibility at least to by Treasury Bonds to help at this fragile economic time for America and the world.
Of course nothing like this has ever been suggested, perhaps because, for the most part, we could believe we had strongly vested concerns in other times like the two world wars, Korea and its implications for the Asian areas, even Vietnam with its flimsy resolutions that launched hundreds of thousands of men to fight and die for questionable goals.
Then came Kuwait, as young Kuwaitis stayed safely in the US while our forces drove Saddam Hussein’s people out.
In other words, we long ago provided “services” to countries that never seemed to feel any need to repay us.
The real question, however, is why no one, from the President to the Congress or anyone else, has suggested the oil wealthy nations we helped in the Middle East, including Iraq, to ante up for our contributions … at least before they invited us finally to go home.
Maybe the answer can be found in the numbers of American lobbying and PR firms that are on the payrolls of the oil producing countries that have run the prices of gas at the pump in ways that would get American companies in trouble with antitrust charges. Many of those doing this business worked their ways up to opportunity by years serving in American government high levels and/or in the Congress.
The names of many of those men and women have been recited right here on odywerpr.com quite often.
President Barack Obama has a marvelous opportunity to show leadership by at least leaving a bill on the diplomatic table for the folks like the Saudis, Kuwaitis, Iraqis and all the rest at least to split the costs.
Why not?
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Joseph J. Honick is an international consultant
to business and government and writes for many publications,
including huntingtonnews.net. Honick can be reached
at [email protected]. |