The “Insurgent Tax”: How we are funding the Iraqi insurgents

Here is a disturbing article that explains how US reconstruction money in Iraq is being paid to insurgents in Iraq for “protection” for contractors.

BAGHDAD — Iraq's deadly insurgent groups have financed their war against U.S. troops in part with hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S. rebuilding funds that they've extorted from Iraqi contractors in Anbar province.
The payments, in return for the insurgents' allowing supplies to move and construction work to begin, have taken place since the earliest projects in 2003, Iraqi contractors, politicians and interpreters involved with reconstruction efforts said.

Iraqi insurgents taking cut of U.S. rebuilding money

If you read further it is said that our tax dollars are “sustaining” the insurgency.

"The violence in Iraq has developed a political economy of its own that sustains it and keeps some of these terrorist groups afloat," said Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh, who recently asked the U.S.-led coalition to match the Iraqi government's pledge of $230 million for Anbar projects.

So for those of us in the US, the insurgents are taking our money to buy weapons and explosives to kill our solders. How do you feel about that? Why can’t our soldiers provide the security the contractors need? Why isn’t there more response from the media about this?

Regardless of the questions it raises or who is responsible for this situation, it is simply unacceptable. I think it is time to cut off the funding. I don’t want my tax dollars being used to pay off insurgents.

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Well the thing is that the war in the middle east brought to you by our corporate corrupted government is never mean to be won, but rather extended for the benefit of the profiteers pushing this war for as long as necessary.

Hal9000, wars are mean to be exploited and benefited from, it doesn't matter how many people are killed, maimed or destroyed is all about money.

It doesn't matter how many times the corruption behind wars is exposed, the propaganda machine already have the people in our nation believing anything they want.

War is good. . . wars are for the benefits of the free nations. . . wars are to protect our way of life. . . the people we fight are evil and they want to kill all of us. . . and Israel.

Is just so predictable that only the blind can not see pass the veil of deception.

Pity.

Yes I agree marg, this war was brought to us by PNAC, and it is only for money. Still after finding out about things like this, why isn't this information plastered all over the media with enraged people demanding answers? I know they own the media and can stifle something like this, but still this article did appear on Yahoo news and other places.

I guess those in the media think we are more interested in gay congressmen.

Well it looks like more funding for the war will be brought up before congress.

This time they want $190 billion with a b.

$190 billion war funding request sets up Washington showdown

Some of this is for new and better equipment for our soldiers, so I think Gates has the right idea, but the amount is staggering. Before this budget is approved they better make sure none of it is going toward paying off insurgents.

Meanwhile Bush plans to veto a bill to expand healthcare for children.

The program would double -- from 4 million to 8 million -- the number of children covered.

Eighteen Republicans joined all of the Democrats in voting to expand the program from its current annual budget of $5 billion to $12 billion for the next five years.

Senate passes children's health insurance bill, Bush vows to veto

This would be a fraction of the cost of this war, but he doesn't like it because he thinks it is pushing toward socialized medicine.

I think this says it all about this administration.

Every lawless place on earth has organised crime and a black market, I have no doubt that some of this money is probably ending up buying weapons for insurgents but I bet just as much is lining the pockets of individuals. Foreign aid is always the same, you can bet a fair percentage ends up funding something unpalatable. It just means that you should be more careful as to how its being spent, not stop its provision.

I can't imagine that this is any different to any other war zone, I think the French Resistance did exactly the same thing during WWII and I think a few of them got rich out of it too.