$3 Billion More Down the Toilet in Iraq

The last place in the world any self respecting U.S. diplomat wants to work is Baghdad, Iraq. Americans and American diplomats aren’t welcome in Iraq; most Iraqi’s hate Americans.

That’s why the United States Embassy in Baghdad is located in the so-called Green Zone, a small heavily fortified enclave of the city, where most Iraqi natives are not allowed to tread. The Green Zone has been a target of insurgency bullets, bombs, and rocket attacks from the beginning of U.S. occupation, and the danger to Americans there is only getting worse.

Five American soldiers were killed last week in Baghdad; the largest single such loss since April of 2009.

American diplomats are likely to be shot if they step outside their offices, even while still in the Green Zone, so they often have to wear flak jackets and military helmets outdoors. Forget about going outside the Green Zone; they’ve all got big bulls eyes painted on their backs for every wild-eyed insurgent, militiaman, amateur sniper, and kidnapper in the vicinity to target. 

Imagine that: Our diplomats having to wear helmets, flack jackets, and be squired around in armored cars. We’ve occupied the place for nearly 10 years and our diplomats can’t even peek out from the bullet proof windows of their Green Zone fortresses without mortal fear of being blown away by a rocket propelled grenade.

Now we learn that, after the $3½ trillion we’ve already thrown into the stinking quagmire of Iraq, the U.S. State Department is going to spend another $3 billion before we leave the Hell hole at the end of this year to hire a security force solely for the protection of U.S. diplomats.

This all comes in spite of the fact that both the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people want the 50,000 U.S. troops still there to go, and there is strong opposition to our leaving any Americans behind. That’s how grateful they are about our gratuitous toppling of their dear leader, Saddam Hussein.  

Never-the-less, the U.S., for reasons far beyond my humble comprehension, insists on keeping a huge diplomatic presence in Iraq, both in Baghdad and the rural provinces. The U.S. departments of state and defense are scrambling to find the means to protect them.

We need a small army of 5,100 men just to guard embassy buildings and operate a fleet of aircraft and armored vehicles, said Patrick Kennedy, undersecretary of state, in testimony before Congress – about $3 billion dollars worth. (WSJ; 6/7/11)

You see, the whole country is surely going to revert back to complete chaos when occupation forces leave, and no one knows that better than our own U.S. diplomats, who would rather be posted in Siberia if they had a choice. They don’t want to have their head’s blown off.

What does this say about the efficacy of our war in Iraq?

It tells me plainly and simply what the diplomats already know; that $3½ trillion dollars from the United States treasury has so far been totally wasted. We can kiss it goodbye, and the U.S. government is still perfectly willing to flush billions more down the toilet in Iraq for absolutely nothing in return -- zero.