[ArneFufkin]

Bob, this is not my pipe dream ... the Bush Administration has a plan for the post-War management and reconstruction that is as meticulously detailed, resourced and bold as is this War plan. Tony Blair has described it in detail to his ministers, and it is going to be an American production with partnership from all those folks who make up the coalition of the willing. The U.N. doesn't have a dog in this fight, not while we are ferreting out every little storehouse of something else that's lethal and nasty and getting Iraq's oil infrastructure to its productive potential. The U.N. is not invited to this party, and the French, Canadians, Russians, Germans and Chinese can beat it too. Australia gets engineering contracts, the Spanish and Italians and East Europeans get agricultural, lumber, manufacturing and construction gigs, the Brits get what they need and American contractors and blue collar guys get some work too.

There is a resource to finance this construction ... which is ... about 7-8 million barrels a day of oil production, some experts say. WHOA! If these poor Iraqi bastards only knew how rich they're gonna be in about 5 years, they might stop blowing us up at check points.

By the way, I embrace every moral right to take the amount we've spent in this war and subsequent reconstruction off the top of the oil proceeds we're going to create for the new Iraqi society. If we spend $70 billion ... well, we get a direct payback from oil sales and a damn good deal on oil for Americans until we're even. At 6 million barrels a day production ... $20 a barrel ... Iraq will be generating $120 million per day, which is $3.6 billion per month and $45 billion per year in oil revenue. That'll work nicely over their 22 million person population ... that's $20,000 per person!

They can pay us back $10 billion a year till we're cool. They probably know not to screw us, we've memorized their address and we've proven that we're not afraid to stop on by if necessary! LOL

First things first, but Bush will make the dismal left wing saboteurs gag on their prediction that we will win the war and lose the peace. A free, vibrant and secure Iraq will ignite historic political and societal change in the despotic regimes of every dungeon-laden torture hole in that oppressive and violent region. And ... how could it possibly be negative change?

[mwl1]

Good analysis. Small but important item in yesterday's Wall Street Journal... we've let $1.6 billion in Iraqi reconstruction contracts, all to US firms... Mitch Daniels of OMB quoted that Iraqi assets (oil $$$ and frozen/tainted assets) are gonna have to finance both the war and reconstruction... he would not say this without approval from above... this will make the full tax cut possible.

[Howlin]

Iraq has reserves of 112.5 billion barrels, second to Saudi Arabia.

In 2002, it pumped 1.5 million barrels per day, far less than the 3.5 million barrels it produced before the first gulf war.

According to The History Channel, Saddam and Iraq make 40 million dollars a DAY from oil, not counting the graft, of course.

[BobFromNJ]

Bravo!! I could not agree more!! You are right on.

[Jim Noble]

>>By the way, I embrace every moral right to take the amount we've spent in this war and subsequent reconstruction off the top of the oil proceeds we're going to create for the new Iraqi society<<

Why do you accept the dubious proposition that "the oil belongs to the people of Iraq" to begin with?

What did the "people of Iraq" do with "their" oil before we found it, developed an infrastructure to extract it, developed a transportation system to send it around the world to be sold on markets that we developed?

And if our technical and marketing expertise were to be withdrawn, what would they do with it?

Drink it?

The oil of the Middle East should by right belong to those who discovered it and developed technology to make use of it.

And, as a matter of fact, it does belong to them by right-the right of contract, which perfectly legal and valid contracts were abrogated by those moon God worshipping barbarians who "represent" the people of so-called "Iraq", "Saudi Arabia" and the other dungheaps over there.

Don't apologize for taking what's ours already.

[ken5050]

Question for you, AF..Iraq oil production can reatart in a few months..the country will still be under US militry control, with a free-Iraqi advisory council...so, does the "new" Iraq stay in OPEC..and what price does it get for the oil?....the answer to those questions will explain a lot of what happens later...

[ArneFufkin]

Bad math ... that's $2000 per citizen per year from oil alone, $6000-10,000 per family, that's not counting all the usual multiplier stuff. Regardless, it's going to be a good foundation to build an economy and society around. They've got to quit blowing us up regardless.

[crazycat]

Yr calculations miss the 40 billion dlrs sitting in the Oil for Food programme, which a Frog bank is "looking after".....

[DollyCali]

Good Post AF