Rumsfeld suggests tourism as a way to fund Iraqi rebuilding.

[greatauntoftriplets]

I kid you not. This pearl of "wisdom" is buried in a longer Chicago Tribune article. Should we book our plane tickets posthaste? Most of Rumfilled's suggestions are of the "pull yourself up by the bootstraps' variety. Note that he also blamed Saddam Hussein, rather than 12 years of crippling sanctions and the fact we have bombed the hell out of the place twice during that time for conditions in Iraq. Read below, especially the last paragraph I've posted.

Rumsfeld urges `Iraqi people' to handle rebuilding
It's not U.S. job to reconstruct country, he says

By Michael Kilian
Washington Bureau
Published September 11, 2003

WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, just back from Iraq, said Wednesday that it is not the job of the United States to reconstruct that nation, and he blamed former leader Saddam Hussein, rather than the American-led invasion, for the deteriorated conditions there.

Rumsfeld said the Bush administration's exit strategy is to turn over political control and security operations to the Iraqis as fast as possible. He urged that much of the recovery and security burden be shifted not only to other countries but also to such international organizations such as the World Bank.

<big snip>

Rumsfeld said there are other resources for Iraq to tap, including frozen Iraqi assets in other countries; the remaining funds in the UN "oil for food" program established when Iraq was still under sanctions; outside investors and such international financial organizations as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Rumsfeld even suggested tourism could be a source for funds once Iraq was made secure.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0309110314sep11,1,1057671.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Edited to fix typo in subject line.

[Booberdawg]

1. Who the fuck wants to go on a vacation or "tour" to Iraq??

:wtf:

The man needs to fucking get fired and replaced with someone thinking with a body part above their waist.

[Paschall]

2. Does Bechtel do resort hotels?

Maybe Rummy is just floating a trial balloon and will soon be demanding that the Germans return the Ishtar Gate.

UK Guardian: Iraq appeals to Berlin for return of Babylon gate

[OneBlueSky]

3. the man is not only evil . . .

he's also a moron of the first order . . . should be removed from office, tried, and imprisoned . . . or maybe, since we're in a war on terror, we can just have him arrested and detained indefinitely . . . without telling anyone . . . kinda like his buddy Ashcroft is doing to so many others . . .