# 343 Tons of $100 Bills **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 8, 2007, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296 "2007-02-08T02:07:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/1 "2007-02-08T02:07:18Z")
Paul Bremer and friends brought $20 Billion dollars into Iraq (343 Tons of C-Notes!), and basically let it be looted. Kind of like the arms depots that the US cracked open and left to the mobs. > **[How the US sent $12bn in cash to Iraq. And watched it vanish](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/08/usa.iraq1)** > > Special flights brought in tonnes of banknotes which disappeared into the war zone. But, it wasn’t our money, so, really “what difference does it make?” It is really hard to fathom these people. What difference does it make that $20 billion dollars disappeared into the quagmire? To be picked up by insurgents and warlords, to finance the killing of civilians and American troops? That the money didn’t help rebuild the infrastructure of the country? About the same difference that tons and tons of explosives and weaponry was left out for grabs, and ended up in the same place. Geezus, you just want to slap someone. Someone needs to go to jail. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/2 "2007-02-08T02:18:19Z")
Jail isn’t good enough. Send them swordless to Palestine (metaphorically). 5 years in Iraq seems about right. In Tikrit. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/3 "2007-02-08T02:21:56Z")
[Quote=shelbo] Someone needs to go to jail. [/Quote] Well, it’s just a start, but [someone may be.](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070208/ap_on_go_ot/iraq_contract_bribes;_ylt=AoKqmIWcX5MUuMWCs_vYKJus0NUE) ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/4 "2007-02-08T02:28:13Z")
OK, then. Guess we know what needs to be added to the definition of “Mongolian Cluster Fuck”. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/5 "2007-02-08T02:28:19Z")
From the article: > [@](#): > > However, evidence before the committee suggests that senior American officials were unconcerned about the situation because the billions were not US taxpayers’ money. Paul Bremer, the head of the CPA, reminded the committee that "the subject of today’s hearing is the CPA’s use and accounting for funds belonging to the Iraqi people held in the so-called Development Fund for Iraq. **These are not appropriated American funds. They are Iraqi funds. I believe the CPA discharged its responsibilities to manage these Iraqi funds on behalf of the Iraqi people."** > > Bremer’s financial adviser, retired Admiral David Oliver, is even more direct. The memorandum quotes an interview with the BBC World Service. Asked what had happened to the $8.8bn he replied: “I have no idea. I can’t tell you whether or not the money went to the right things or didn’t - nor do I actually think it’s important.” > > Q: “But the fact is billions of dollars have disappeared without trace.” > > Oliver: **“Of their money. Billions of dollars of their money, yeah I understand. I’m saying what difference does it make?”** Bolding mine. So, America showed about as much concern for Iraqi money as it has for Iraqi lives in this whole mess. Nothing too surprising there, i guess. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/6 "2007-02-08T02:51:14Z")
[QUOTE=shelbo] (343 Tons of C-Notes!) [/QUOTE] [Boeing Cargo planes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_777) > [@](#): > > The 777F will have a payload of 103 tons. This is very close to the capacity of the 747-400F, which has a payload of 112 tons. So 343 tons is about three and a half Boeing 777’s stuffed to the gills with green. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/7 "2007-02-08T03:08:58Z")
I think I am going to puke. Really. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/8 "2007-02-08T03:15:02Z")
I’m sure dozens of investigative reporters will be all over this story. That’s right, there are no investgative reporters anymore. Just a bunch of bloated talking heads and preening poodles paid to read the news and kiss ass questions. I couldn’t even find anything about this in the NYT. Just this article about contractors. > **[In Washington, Contractors Take On Biggest Role Ever (Published 2007)](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/04/washington/04contract.html?_r=1&oref=slogin)** > > Contracting has soared during the Bush presidency, fueled by a philosophy that encourages outsourcing almost all government work. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/9 "2007-02-08T05:35:12Z")
Here’s my question: Just what, exactly, has to happen before people get seriously pissed? I see this, and my head is about to explode; I’m so angry and freaked out… I had to pace around the room for awhile this morning. But I feel like most people, they see this, and it doesn’t even register. What is going to have to happen before the American people, and Congress, reach the point of no return, and throw these assholes to the curb? I just ask, because it probably _already_ happened, and maybe we should start talking about it, to speed the process along. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/10 "2007-02-08T07:09:24Z")
Hell, why didn’t we just _buy_ the fuckin’ place, we wanted it so bad. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/11 "2007-02-08T07:40:14Z")
Lea DeLaria tried out that idea in an earlier conflict: “I don’t think there should be gays in the military, I don’t think there should be straights in the military, I DON’T THINK THERE SHOULD BE A MILITARY! I think we should take all the money we spend on defence and just _buy_ Bosnia! Just buy it! Send three queens in to gentrify! ‘Let’s do Bosnia in a desert motif! Lawrence of Olivier - it’ll be fabulous.’” ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/12 "2007-02-08T16:18:58Z")
[QUOTE=miss elizabeth] Here’s my question: Just what, exactly, has to happen before people get seriously pissed? I see this, and my head is about to explode; I’m so angry and freaked out… I had to pace around the room for awhile this morning. But I feel like most people, they see this, and it doesn’t even register. What is going to have to happen before the American people, and Congress, reach the point of no return, and throw these assholes to the curb? I just ask, because it probably _already_ happened, and maybe we should start talking about it, to speed the process along. [/QUOTE] I feel the exactly the same way. What’s it going to take for people to get so fed up that they throw all of these amoral assholes to the curb? Lying about a war didn’t do it. Dead bodies of young American soldiers didn’t do it. The fact that Bush’s cronies are profiting from the war didn’t do it. Then you read about the homeless vets "– Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are now showing up in the nation’s homeless shelters…While the numbers are still small, they’re steadily rising, and raising alarms in both the homeless and veterans’ communities. The concern is that these returning veterans - some of whom can’t find jobs after leaving the military, others of whom are still struggling psychologically with the war - may be just the beginning of an influx of new veterans in need… “It’s horrible to put your life on the line and then come back home to nothing, that’s what I came home to: nothing. I didn’t know where to go or where to turn,” says Mr. Noel. “I thought I was alone, but I found out there are a whole lot of other soldiers in the same situation. Now I want people to know what’s really going on.” > **[Back from Iraq - and suddenly out on the streets](https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0208/p02s01-ussc.html)** > > Social service agencies say the number of homeless vets is rising, in part because of high housing costs and gaps in pay. Injured vets come home to poverty > **[Injured Iraq Vets Come Home to Poverty](https://abcnews.com/Primetime/IraqCoverage/story?id=163109&page=1)** It makes me sick to my stomach. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/13 "2007-02-08T16:28:52Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Jail isn’t good enough. Send them swordless to Palestine (metaphorically). 5 years in Iraq seems about right. In Tikrit. [/QUOTE] I disagree. These gentlemen have added a new dimension to our understanding of criminal negligence, malfeasance in fiduciary duty, and other “white collar” crimes. They deserve to be sentenced in accord with the prevailing standard for people who have lost the money of others through lack of diligence: Lock them up. In an Iraqi jail – Al Ghraib might be appropriate. On a civil charge: to remain incarcerated until they make restitution. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/14 "2007-02-08T16:29:23Z")
[QUOTE=Caridwen] I feel the exactly the same way. What’s it going to take for people to get so fed up that they throw all of these amoral assholes to the curb? Lying about a war didn’t do it. Dead bodies of young American soldiers didn’t do it. The fact that Bush’s cronies are profiting from the war didn’t do it. [/QUOTE] Non-sarcastic answer? A Democrat to do it. Seriously. Why do I say this? The Republicans spent 25 years investing in and building a noise machine that does nothing but blare how Anything Bad Comes From Liberals Who Want To Take Your Money and Anything Bad That Comes From Republicans Is Actually Caused By Liberals Making Us Do It. Remember Rush Limbaugh’s Speech Of Contrition after the 2006 Elections? It wasn’t, “Oh, we fucked up one too many times and got pasted for it”, no, it was “I have been carrying water for far too many of these guys for too long when they didn’t deserve it. They weren’t Right-Wing enough for this country so they got voted out.” Take a poll. Ask people how many Billions of money would have to disappear (not be wasted, not sunk into pork, but DISAPPEAR) from government coffers before they get outraged. I’ll bet the number will be far below $20B. But, if nobody (compared to the whole population) knows about it? If enough noise is broadcast to drown out the facts? Then facts don’t matter. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/15 "2007-02-08T16:59:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Take a poll. Ask people how many Billions of money would have to disappear (not be wasted, not sunk into pork, but DISAPPEAR) from government coffers before they get outraged. I’ll bet the number will be far below $20B. It’s one thing not to know about it, but another to give it a pass. And the people that are the first to scream about an increase in minimum wage or another social program seem perfectly fine with the idea that we’re paying for the billions and billions of dollars that are being thrown away or fed into this war. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/16 "2007-02-08T17:05:47Z")
The second shipment was 2.4 billion. They just opened our treasury and did no accounting. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/17 "2007-02-08T17:07:57Z")
> [@](#): > > To oversee the expenditure the CPA was supposed to appoint an independent certified public accounting firm. “Instead the CPA hired an obscure consulting firm called North Star Consultants Inc. The firm was so small that it reportedly operates out of a private home in San Diego.” So who’s cousin do you think runs this consulting firm? ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/18 "2007-02-08T17:22:39Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] [Boeing Cargo planes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_777) So 343 tons is about three and a half Boeing 777’s stuffed to the gills with green. [/QUOTE] Not exactly. In this case the planes will reach their weight capacity before their volume capacity, making them unstuffed, but fully loaded by weight. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/19 "2007-02-08T17:35:48Z")
Christ almighty. Even in my most rabidly anti-US government Euro-weenie wet dreams, I couldn’t come up with shit like this. The circumstances almost sound like petulance. “Not MY money. I don’t care.” George Marshall must be spinning in his grave. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296/20 "2007-02-08T17:52:22Z")
and the silence from Republicans, conservatives & right-wingers both on and off this Board is deafening, but typical. Why do they hate America and our troops? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/343-tons-of-100-bills/391296.md?page=2)