Kerry Tells Congress That Oil Sheiks Will Pay US for War to Unseat Assad

[unhappycamper]

http://truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/18178-kerry-tells-congress-that-oil-sheiks-will-pay-us-for-war-to-unseat-assad

Kerry Tells Congress That Oil Sheiks Will Pay US for War to Unseat Assad
MARK KARLIN, EDITOR OF BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT
Thursday, 05 September 2013 16:27

In a rare moment of diplomatic candor, US Secretary of State John Kerry told a congressional hearing Wednesday that oil sheiks have offered to pay the United States to unseat Bashar al-Assad as Syrian strong man. The surprising admission came in response to congressional pressure on the administration to explain how yet another military operation would be paid for during a period of prolonged budgetary sequestration.

Apparently trying to assuage concerns about billions and billions of taxpayer dollars financing a "punishment strike" that most legislators know in their guts is the opening salvo in another Libyan style war of degrading the Syrian military (while untold numbers of civilians are also killed in the process), Kerry, according to The Washington Post, revealed more than he probably meant to:

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

[CincyDem]

1. Ahh-me. Get your Ahh-me right here. Ahh-me for sale.

This is insane that we're effectively creating a national mercenary force. We're turning into a subcontractor for the Saudis. Insane.

I wonder if they're going to ask for a "2 for 1" deal. I'll buy the Syria attack but I'd like you to toss in a Jordan or Iran attack on the side while your there.

Insane.

[Scuba]

2. So we're now simply mercenaries working for oil cartels. Well, I guess that isn't new is it?

[enough]

3. Moving from the world's policeman to the world's mercenary.

Kerry quote from the article:

“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."

[alsame]

5. Do the whole

thing? Sure, they'll 'carry that cost' but it's our troops who will die - how do you pay for that?

These people are all insane.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. mostly it will be Syrians who will die. Like the Iraqis, they don't count.

[Nay]

8. “That’s how dedicated they are at this." So, Mr. Kerry, if the Saudis are so 'dedicated,' why

don't they get up their own army and deal with it?? Oh, that's right -- they have their own 'white n****rs' (in the Saudis' own words) to do their dirty work for them. How convenient for them.

This country as a mercenary, money- and oil-grubbing entity, fighting wars for money and oil at the behest of extremely rich 1%.

Can we possibly fall any farther? Honestly, the fact that Kerry even said this is heartbreaking.

[mn9driver]

4. We've heard this bullshit before.

Just more evidence that it really doesn't matter who holds office these days. The people that pull the strings are exactly the same.

“There’s a lot of money to pay for this that doesn’t have to be U.S. taxpayer money, and it starts with the assets of the Iraqi people…and on a rough recollection, the oil revenues of that country could bring between $50 and $100 billion over the course of the next two or three years…We’re dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.” -Paul Wolfowitz, April 2003

[bemildred]

7. Could we be more corrupt? I don't see how. nt

[libodem]

9. Good God

What is this world coming to? Yep, he'll be licking his comb next. Gag.