# Want to know where your money for Iraq went? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 11, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704 "2005-10-11T03:39:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704/1 "2005-10-11T03:39:10Z")
[Cite](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051011/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=AtBDtSy_NQDXRC0iYUSDQlKs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--) The defense minister of the Allawi government and 27 other officials are being sought in a $1 billion theft of money during their reign. Good job business-like Bush administration. Too bad we couldn’t afford armor plating for our troops. But what’s a billion among crooks? ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704/2 "2005-10-11T04:10:57Z")
Hmm… US Government is run by American businessmen. US government creates Iraqi Government… Iraqi government is found to have committed same offenses known to be common amongst big-shot American businessmen… I’ve yet to see any reason to be surprised. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704/3 "2005-10-11T04:41:35Z")
In the Bush Administration’s defense, I have it on good authority that those members of the Allawi government are all registered Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704/4 "2005-10-11T11:36:08Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > In the Bush Administration’s defense, I have it on good authority that those members of the Allawi government are all registered Democrats. I’ll go you one further. I’ve been informed they’re all _far left [move-on.org](http://move-on.org)_ Democrats. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704/5 "2005-10-11T11:38:11Z")
Is there any way we can tie them to Chavez? ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704/6 "2005-10-11T11:44:01Z")
Well, perhaps that’s one billion accounted for. Any line on the other $7 billion that’s missing? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704/7 "2005-10-11T14:29:04Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > Well, perhaps that’s one billion accounted for. Any line on the other $7 billion that’s missing? I figure at least a billion, maybe two, went to the queers for redecorating Saddam’s palaces – the man had _hideous_ taste. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704/8 "2005-10-11T15:27:38Z")
Oh, come now! If fashionista homos had decorated Saddam’s palace, they would be much better appointed than they are! Imagine if that nelly blonde kid from _Queer Eye_ were to suddenly find himself in Saddam’s palace! He’d run screaming from the rooms! ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704/9 "2005-10-11T15:33:22Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > [Cite](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051011/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=AtBDtSy_NQDXRC0iYUSDQlKs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--) > > The defense minister of the Allawi government and 27 other officials are being sought in a $1 billion theft of money during their reign. > > Good job business-like Bush administration. > > Too bad we couldn’t afford armor plating for our troops. But what’s a billion among crooks? And this was the money that was supposed to equip the Iraqi forces to take over and let us run away and pretend Mission Accomplished. That Bushie, he’s doing a helluva job. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704/10 "2005-10-11T15:38:49Z")
All kidding aside, this feeds directly into one of my current Betty Noyers: the creation of a client state in Iraq, and the tendency of a client state to cling to its benefactor. Whole hulking gobs of money have disappeared into Iraq. A lot of it, we may safely assume, has found its way into the pockets of local businessmen. Which isnt so bad in itself, at least it becomes part of the local economy. But a lot of that money, the lions share we are safe to assume, was directed to its location by the advice of the people we installed in power, the Ahmed Chalabi fan club. For these people, the skies have opened and are raining baskets of Benjamins. How will they use the money? The usual, one supposes. But, as well, they will use said money to further their security and position. As that security and position depends on the presence and protection of US troops, you can reasonably expect them to be loathe to see us depart. No doubt, they make all the correct noises to their benefactors, about an urgent desire to see a free and democratic Iraq that will chuck them out on their ears and then investigate them for fraud and corruption. Uh huh. Sure. You bet. We have attached Count Iraqula to our jugular, and he will drink every drop he can drain. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-know-where-your-money-for-iraq-went/325704/11 "2005-10-11T19:03:41Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Hmm… US Government is run by American businessmen. > > US government creates Iraqi Government… > > Iraqi government is found to have committed same offenses known to be common amongst big-shot American businessmen… > I’ve yet to see any reason to be surprised. And so this doesn’t piss you off _twice_ as much?