Kerry: Arabs would pay for us to invade Syria, not that we would do such a thing

[cthulu2016]

It appears that we are receiving offers from Arab countries to pay all our costs if we will invade Syria ("the whole thing the way we’ve done it previously in other places&quot , not that we would consider such offers, of course, since we have no intention of invading Syria.

Secretary of State John Kerry said at Wednesday’s hearing that Arab counties have offered to pay for the entirety of unseating President Bashar al-Assad if the United States took the lead militarily.

“With respect to Arab counties offering to bear costs and to assess, the answer is profoundly yes,” Kerry said. “They have. That offer is on the table.”

Asked by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) about how much those countries would contribute, Kerry said they have offered to pay for all of a full invasion.

“In fact, some of them have said that if the United States is prepared to go do the whole thing the way we’ve done it previously in other places, they’ll carry that cost,” Kerry said. “That’s how dedicated they are at this. That’s not in the cards, and nobody’s talking about it, but they’re talking in serious ways about getting this done.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics-live/liveblog/the-houses-syria-hearing-live-updates/?id=e68f139f-e012-476c-876e-2467ba30e5e3

[Jefferson23]

1. For crying out loud, Kerry thinks this helps his case? n/t

[cthulu2016]

2. He just likes being on TV.

[ProSense]

11. He should just sit there and make up stuff.

Not tell the country what's going on. Isn't the point of the hearings for people to learn what's going on, and what interested parties are saying?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

18. War is cheap. It'll pay for itself = making stuff up =lying

[ProSense]

20. What the hell are you talking about? n/t

[Nuclear Unicorn]

36. Because Kerry saying the war is not a financial issue is

Kerry is lying out his lying face with lies only a liar would lie.

[ProSense]

49. Nonsense. n/t

[Fantastic Anarchist]

63. Damn, you are one loyal person ...

Which is nice to have when married or if you're getting a pet, but horrible to pledge allegiance to a party "right or wrong."

[ProSense]

65. I don't like stupid opportunistic distortions and potshots.

And heaven knows there is a lot of that going around.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023594669#post17

[leveymg]

69. That statement is so 1991 of John Kerry.

We're so much more in debt to foreign holders of US public debt than we were two decades ago, we should simply do it for free for a reduction of a couple points in interest rate.

He wants Saudi Arabia to pay us for something we can be tricked into doing for free? Who does he think he is, James Baker?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

70. Please feel free to explain how trying claim this stupid war won't have a financial impact

is anything other than pure, unadulterated crap. He is spewing this nonsense to lie us into a war of choice.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

72. Distortions and potshots?

Wow, quite sensitive. You're the one distorting every issue because it just so happens to be a Democratic policy. I've never seen such contortions.

Loyalty is for best of friends, not parties.

[warrant46]

52. Will the Arabs Pay for the PTSD, the Wooden Legs the Plastic Hands, the Catheter Bags ?

Lifelong disability, the wheel chairs and the Nursing Homes ?

[ProSense]

55. More nonsense. n/t

[Pleidianfriend723]

103. how is that nonsense?

do you know what is going to happen?

[LondonReign2]

114. Calling things nonsense is her answer of choice when she

has no answer.

You ask a legitimate question: even if we make believe some other country is going to pay us to invade Syria (can you imagine the howls of derision if Kindalizard Rice had made such a statement??), are they also going to pay for all the post-war care necessary? Of course not. She knows that, and knows there is no answer, so that was the response you got.

That's what happens when your whole being is invested in defending a party, no matter how far off the rails they fly.

[Union Scribe]

68. Well he has been, actually.

Pulling specific numbers of the dead out of the air, taking white-out to the dictionary because he doesn't like the word war, saying Syria's regime is a threat to U.S. national security...

[Catherina]

39. Can't remember who said this but with his dickhard warmongering

when Kerry opens his mouth, paragraphs fall out.

[Mass]

12. What was he supposed to answer to the Repub that asked the question? Lying?

[Jefferson23]

16. You think I was suggesting he should? No, of course not. I am stunned this info

presented by Kerry, in his mind, is somehow, on some level, a good reason to trust
the motives of those who have made such an offer.

[Mass]

19. Where is he saying he trusts the motives?

[Jefferson23]

29. He expressed no concern. He expressed quite clearly, there were offers to finance

all of it yet by omission he does not name one country.

[rhett o rick]

43. To be a mercenary army for the Arabs shouldnt be on the table. He should

have said no because that isnt an option. And it better not be an option for the USofA to contract out our military.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

66. At the very least, they should bankroll our infrastructure projects ...

... health care costs, education, housing, debt payment, etc.

It's the least they can do if we're going into harms way. Just call it the Arab GI Bill.

[CrispyQ]

82. This. ^^^

Nobody should be defending this shit! What the fuck parallel universe did I wake up in today? We're going to side with Al Qaeda after spending billions fighting them the past decade? Bombing a sovereign nation is not war? The Arabs will pay us for this? What if the Arabs offer to pay us to take out Israel? Oops!

The fact that he did not say it was not an option tells me this is their get-out-of-jail-free card when the American public asks, "How are we going to pay for this war?" We are being duped again, so they can fatten their bank accounts by sucking at the trough that is our Treasury. They need to keep the MIC engine running, while they figure out a way to get to Iran.

[Raksha]

101. I've been asking myself that same question every day for the past week.

Re "Nobody should be defending this shit! What the fuck parallel universe did I wake up in today?"

[Nuclear Unicorn]

17. What world are we even living in anymore?

They're using the exact same lies they told us to get us to accept the last war --

Would the war be cheap and would Iraq pay for it?

The projections: Ahead of and shortly after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, a number of officials, including former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his deputy Paul Wolfowitz suggested the war could be done on the cheap and that it would largely pay for itself. In October 2003, Rumsfeld told a press conference about President Bush's request for $21 billion for Iraq and Afghan reconstruction that "the $20 billion the president requested is not intended to cover all of Iraq's needs. The bulk of the funds for Iraq's reconstruction will come from Iraqis -- from oil revenues, recovered assets, international trade, direct foreign investment, as well as some contributions we've already received and hope to receive from the international community." In March 2003, Mr. Wolfowitz told Congress that "we're really dealing with a country that could finance its own reconstruction." In April 2003, the Pentagon said the war would cost about $2 billion a month, and in July of that year Rumsfeld increased that estimate to $4 billion.

What happened? The Iraq war cost about $800 billion, or about $7.6 billion a month. When long term benefits are paid out connected with the death and injury of US troops there, the number is expected to rise to about $1 trillion, or about $9.5 billion a month. About $60 billion was spent directly on Iraq reconstruction efforts.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Backchannels/2011/1222/Iraq-war-Predictions-made-and-results

[Jefferson23]

22. Upside down world. The amount of loss of life and the growing anti-Americanism, is not

even something they seem to ever appreciate, nor care to attempt to measure.

[Mass]

27. Yes, because no lives has been lost in Syria even before these latest attacks.

Yep, I am sure statements like that help a pro-American feeling. Non American life is cheap is a feeling I often have on this board.

(In addition to the 100,000 dead Syrians, 2,000,000 refugees, and DU could not care less. )

[Jefferson23]

32. You support a military response, that is your prerogative and you just may get it.

I do not.

[Mass]

34. I do not support a military response. It would not help. This does not prevent me to acknowledge

the existing problem.

[Jefferson23]

37. You responded to my response I gave to another member here regarding Iraq and

it suggested to me you are disappointed by DU's responses to Syria.

I hope you realize that.

[Mass]

46. Definitively. Because of the lack of recognition of the Syrian people suffering, not because of the

lack of support for intervention. It is impossible to think such an intervention would help Syrians.

But you cannot imagine how statements like yours or statements about No War (as if there was not yet a war in Syria) sound callous to my ears. Be sure they do not help anti-Americanism any more than interventionism will.

[Jefferson23]

50. Nonsense. We're done here. n/t

[Mass]

51. Good. Because this thread is a bunch of nonsense.\nt

[delrem]

100. I'll say it yet again, because *no one* wants to acknowledge it

Hillary Rodham Clinton: led "Friends of Syria (tm)" and initiated the so-called "Syrian civil war".

I watched her speech in favor of the Iraq war. I watched her *identical* speech, her *identical* blazing self-adulating smile, in favor of this escalation of her very own Syrian war. The US has been "leading from behind" in this butchery from the beginning, and it earns a big *fuck you warmongering pigs* from me.

[HooptieWagon]

42. Good god, it sounds like they've dusted off NeoCon talking points...

...and are spewing them verbatim. THIS is the best case they can make for a Syrian War? I'm not impressed...

[Duer 157099]

3. Pay who? Halliburton?

So we're mercenaries now? Nice.

I wonder if those "Arab countries" would make an offer of, oh, say $100,000 per American, would our citizens change their minds?

[DirkGently]

87. Funny you mention ...

CALGARY, Sept. 3, 2013 /CNW/ - Trinidad Drilling Ltd. (Trinidad) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a joint venture arrangement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Halliburton Company (Halliburton) to provide and operate drilling rigs for Halliburton's international integrated projects.

The joint venture is expected to concentrate initially on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Mexico, with future growth opportunities in other international markets. Under this arrangement, the joint venture will have a right of first look to provide drilling rigs for all of Halliburton's managed onshore projects outside of Canada and the United States. Additionally, the joint venture will have a right of first look at Trinidad's onshore contract drilling opportunities outside of Canada and the United States.

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130903-904576.html

[awoke_in_2003]

106. Our troops have been...

doing dirty work for the big corporations for years.

[cali]

4. gad. could he be more garbled with that last bit you highlighted?

[jsr]

5. "We’re dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.”

- Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, March 27, 2003.

[warrant46]

56. Ah yes who can forget, Wolfy the War Criminal

[Romulox]

6. Utterly disgusting. nt

[Mass]

7. Of course, they would. Particularly Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq who are absorbing the refugees

which could destabilize the countries in return. Jordan (6 M inhabitants) have 1M refugees (imagine the US with 50 M refugees here).

What amazes me is why the question of the refugees is just ignored, but people ask stupid questions.

[LondonReign2]

8. “I really do believe we will be greeted as liberators."

-- Dick "Dick" Cheney

[Mass]

9. Except that Kerry was answering a straight question and not advocating a policy.

And yes, some countries probably offered to pay so that they can get rid of their refugees,

[Dems to Win]

10. Arabs DID pay US mercenary army to re-install emir of Kuwait to his solid gold throne.

Remember Iraq War 1.0? Financed by Saudi petro dollars. US Treasury actually made a profit on that little war.

So, none of this 'never happen' BS. Precedent has been set.

[Catherina]

47. Precisely. So we're an army for hire?

[Mass]

14. Dont know. Ask the guy that is on your avatar.

[KamaAina]

15. But they won't do it themselves

We've certainly sold them, especially the Saudis, enough shiny, expensive war toys over the years.

Apparently they'd rather use Americans as cannon fodder.

[Aerows]

21. How do you pay for the dead Americans

and their stricken families? If you are just looking at the bottom line, dollars and cents, then you have no fucking business even contemplating a war, and instead need to be committed somewhere. People's children, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers and friends aren't a goddamned number on a spread sheet.

Kerry didn't have me to begin with, and he *certainly* doesn't have me now with that argument. Fuck the idea that you can pay people off after their family members perish in a war that we don't need to be involved in at all.

[LiberalAndProud]

23. If we're going to attack anyway, we should take the money.

It costs money to drop those bombs, you know. Please note, I did not say 'wage a war' because as we have been told, dropping bombs is not war waging. It's a different thing altogether in some dictionary some where. I believe the last time we actually waged a war was WWII. Am I right?

We do not wage unjustified wars. We are the police of the world. So be it. Let the world pay for the 'protection'.

[Celefin]

41. Hmm... nice little country you have there, would be a shame if something happened to it

So be it. Let the world pay for the 'protection'.

Sorry, couldn't resist.
*faint smile*

[badtoworse]

24. Have gun, will travel

[Bluenorthwest]

25. Arab nations behead gay people and Obama and Kerry want us to be their mercenaries?

Kerry pimping our troops off to the Saudis who apparently are unable to actually fight fights they want fought due to preciousness or cowardice.

[cthulu2016]

26. Kerry did not signal any interest in such an invasion.

Just noted that we had offers to pay all the costs if we did invade.

[Bluenorthwest]

99. Yeah, sell it to someone who might buy it. Any mention of any offer on the table which is made

by choice is made in order to foist the possibility of accepting that offer. Get real.

[Waiting For Everyman]

28. A very weird statement.

Beyond its face value, that says to me that it's already been decided that Assad is going to go, one way or another. Because big money and power usually gets its way.

[DirkGently]

92. Pretty questionable statesmanship. Cat / bag? Helloo?

Does he not get how incompatible "Saudi wants us to do an Iraq-number on Assad and will make it worth our while" and "We are outraged at this moral obscenity" are?

Hillary must be laughing her ass off at the new guy.

[Waiting For Everyman]

96. I know, right?

There should be a new "Hillary texting" pic for this.

[mick063]

30. Pay us? Us??????

We know.exactly where every nickel would go and sure wouldn't be for "us".


I despise liars.

[blkmusclmachine]

31. CRAZY TALK

[PoliticAverse]

33. So an invasion of Syria would 'pay for itself'?... n/t

[leftstreet]

40. That sounds so...familiar n/t

[SomethingFishy]

77. The game is the same all that's changed is the names...

THey could at least attempt to come up with some new bullshit.

[myrna minx]

35. This is just surreal. My god. n/t

[Erose999]

38. Let me guess, we'll be "greeted as liberators" too right? They'll have good champagne and a nice

cheese plate waiting for us when we roll into Aleppo, right?

[warrant46]

62. And a Rose Petal Parade too !!

[grahamhgreen]

44. How much? How bout they pay, and forgive all our debt?

[Savannahmann]

45. On the TV Show the West Wing

Toby and Sam were so smart in how to phrase things, and the things you didn't say. I know, it's TV. The writers of the show have an easier time since they know how it turns out.

But imagine your life, your every day life. How often to you say things that are half as stupid as that nonsense coming out of Washington over the last few days? If the rest of us acted that foolish Paula Dean would wonder if we were blithering idiots.

[NuclearDem]

48. Oh good God.

[dionysus]

53. why don't these countries offering to pay for this step in and act themselves?

[woo me with science]

54. Crazy, crazy, crazy.

Scary crazy talk. Good god, you can't make this shit up.

[Scuba]

57. Are they offering more than Exxon/Mobile is paying now?

[DirkGently]

112. Could be. Let's just auction our Regime Change services on Ebay.

Weird thing, though -- my check for clearing Saddam out of Iraq looks like a bill ...

[Iggo]

58. Nobody's talking about it, but they're talking in serious ways about getting it done.

[arcane1]

64. Indeed, I hate to say it, but that's almost a Bush-level facepalm remark.

[avaistheone1]

59. wtf

We can be mercenaries of Saudi Arabia? Woohoo.

[CanonRay]

60. So what are we now, Hessians?

C'mon John, get a grip. Did you really think we'd all just fall in line because you're John Kerry?

[Zorra]

61. Geez, why don't they just pay Israel to invade Syria? It's a heck of a lot closer.

Last edited Wed Sep 4, 2013, 07:59 PM - Edit history (1)

[Kurska]

67. Mercenaries generally get a lot better than "just cost"

They really can't do better?

[DirkGently]

71. Wait. That's NUTS. Now we're Saudi hired guns?

This does not help Kerry's case.

So ... "Arab countries" want to ... what? HIRE US to do their dirty work in Syria?

And we're admitting that?

This is maybe more telling than anything else we've heard so far.

First off, that points to an entirely different motive for U.S. involvement. It suggests we are receiving huge pressure from these "Arab nations" (cough cough Saudia Arabia plus maybe Turkey, cough) to take Assad down for them.

Which of course keeps us in the crosshairs of angry Middle Easterners, terrorist and otherwise, as we continue to be the big bully in the region.

This is very interesting. Wonder which "Arab countries" thought Iraq was a good idea? (Insert pictures of Bush holding hands with various Saudi royalty here, etc.).

How about we name these silent sponsors of our proposed new Mid-East war, for starters?

There's a whole lot of stink here, and it implicates a lot more policy than just Syria.

And, by the way, while this is fascinating to know, what kind of statecraft is it on Kerry's part to be saying such an outrageous thing?

[Lars39]

73. So the US armed forces would become mercenaries.

In a shock doctrine kind of way. Great.

[DirkGently]

74. Suggests maybe they are already. Iraq?

W. was so cuddly with the Saudis.

They didn't like Saddam either.

[Lars39]

76. Yes, puts it out in the open, doesn't it. Socializing risks, privatizing profits.

My personal theory is that he and Bandar spent summers together watching executions and whatnot.

[DirkGently]

80. It's a hell of a thing to reveal, given the implications.

I wonder if anyone will jump on this, and ask just what the hell he's talking about, with "Arab nations" so torqued about getting us to invade that they'd pay for it.

Which also basically means we're talking about Saudi Arabia.

Which also suggests we get this kind of pressure from Saudi regularly.

Wonder if we could get them to pick up the tab for Iraq retroactively?



Or did someone else receive that payment already?

[Lars39]

84. Would be nice if someone followed up.

I'm guessing Poppy and Cheney got the bulk of money paid for Iraq. Threw a few to Dubya.

[DirkGently]

85. Contracts, favors, intel. Halliburton.

Trinidad Drilling enters joint venture arrangement with Halliburton announces signs long term contract for four rigs in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Wednesday, Sep 04, 2013
CALGARY, Sept. 3, 2013 /CNW/ - Trinidad Drilling Ltd. (Trinidad) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a joint venture arrangement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Halliburton Company (Halliburton) to provide and operate drilling rigs for Halliburton's international integrated projects.

The joint venture is expected to concentrate initially on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Mexico, with future growth opportunities in other international markets. Under this arrangement, the joint venture will have a right of first look to provide drilling rigs for all of Halliburton's managed onshore projects outside of Canada and the United States. Additionally, the joint venture will have a right of first look at Trinidad's onshore contract drilling opportunities outside of Canada and the United States.

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130903-904576.html

[Lars39]

86. Float a lot of yachts with that kind of money.

Too bad most of us can't even afford a paper boat any more.

[TalkingDog]

75. Oh, well, that makes it okay then.

nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

78. LOL! This is the kind of thing that should have come out in a private session!

[MisterP]

79. Iraq was supposed to pay for getting invaded, too

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

81. Maybe Kerry can hold auctions for our services. "Going once, Going twice...." Or, offer coupons.

[CrispyQ]

83. "...and nobody’s talking about it,..." You're talking about, Mr. Secretary.

What the fuck parallel universe did I wake up in today?

[polichick]

88. Oh, what a deal. Taxpayers pay first, then the Arabs will pay...

and the mic can have double the fun!

[rhett o rick]

89. Hey, didnt the Iraqi's pay for our setting them free? Or was that in a dream? nm

[polichick]

91. I think it was a fairy tale. :)

[B2G]

90. So now we have a mercenary army

Woot!

[Avalux]

93. WTF?? Hired help?? Cannon fodder? Commodities? Is that what our soldiers are?

I'm absolutely disgusted he'd say such a thing.

[DirkGently]

94. Wonder who offered to pay for us to whack Saddam?

Wonder who received that payment.

This is very good to have out in the open.

Also very either very ballsy or very clumsy to reveal in a public hearing.


Kind of undermines the "We're on a WMD punishment mission" idea doesn't it?

[Avalux]

107. Sure does. Did he perhaps say it on purpose to piss people off?

I have no idea what's going on anymore. Kerry is not a stupid and isn't prone to speak without thinking first.

[Sand Wind]

95. Lol, lol, lol

Great, like the Koweit ...

[Sand Wind]

102. Saudi Arabia paid around US$36 billion of the US$60 billion cost

Kuwait's invasion by Iraqi troops that began 2 August 1990 was met with international condemnation, and brought immediate economic sanctions against Iraq by members of the U.N. Security Council. U.S. President George H. W. Bush deployed U.S. forces into Saudi Arabia, and urged other countries to send their own forces to the scene. An array of nations joined the Coalition. The great majority of the Coalition's military forces were from the U.S., with Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Egypt as leading contributors, in that order. Saudi Arabia paid around US$36 billion of the US$60 billion cost.[20]

[hobbit709]

97. "Invading Iraq would pay for itself"

[Bosonic]

98. The intervention-into-overthrow package.

Very wise choice, sir. Now let's talk price...

[DirkGently]

109. Funny how invasion's "not on the table," but still bears mentioning.

[99th_Monkey]

104. It's another "cake walk" Mr. Kerry? They'll greet us with hearts & flowers Mr. Kerry?

"Nobody is talking about it.."

(ahem, well nobody except me and everyone who reads this and talks about it, reports it, etc.)

[morningfog]

105. We'll be greeted with sweets and flowers. Deja vu.

[mazzarro]

108. I get the impression that they had already decided on this war, way before now!

The "massacre" is just an excuse to get things in rolling - IMO

[DirkGently]

113. Yep. The plan to pay us likely didn't spring up with the

report of chemical weapons.

[KoKo]

110. Good Grief! Did he have a Freudian Slip?

[DirkGently]

111. "The Saudis want to pay us to do an Iraq job on Assad"

sure wasn't in the press kit.

Not saying Kerry is stupid. But he either forgot where he was here, or he's exhausted. This undercuts the entire logic the administration is trying to lay down.