Following NeoCons Over the Cliff

Much of $60B from US to 'rebuild' Iraq wasted; $90B spent on Afghanistan 'reconstruction' projects 06 Mar 2013 Ten years and *60 billion in American taxpayer funds later, Iraq is still so unstable and broken that even its leaders question whether U.S. efforts to rebuild the war-torn nation were worth the cost. In his final report to Congress, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen's conclusion was all too clear: Since the invasion a decade ago this month, the U.S. has spent too much money in Iraq for too few results. The abysmal Iraq results forecast what could happen in Afghanistan, where U.S. taxpayers have so far spent *90 billion in reconstruction projects during a 12-year military campaign... Overall, including all military and diplomatic costs and other aid, the U.S. has spent at least *767 billion since the American-led invasion of Iraq, according to the Congressional Budget Office. National Priorities Project, a U.S. research group that analyzes federal data, estimated the cost at *811 billion, noting that some funds are still being spent on ongoing projects. [Right, pretending to 'rebuild' that which the US destroyed. We all know the money -- *150 billion and counting -- went to US corpora-terrorists. Notice that the GOP refuses to spend a dime on US infrastructure but never cuts one cent in foreign 'reconstruction' funds? That's because they know that the only recipients are US corporations. And, these are the same austerity-pimping predators and sociopaths -- having also spent *700 billion to bail out Wall Street -- that are pushing to slash Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.]



Army suspends tuition assistance program for troops 08 Mar 2013 The Army announced Friday it is suspending its tuition assistance program for soldiers newly enrolling in classes due to sequestration and other budgetary pressures. "This suspension is necessary given the significant budget execution challenges caused by the combined effects of a possible year-long continuing resolution and sequestration," Paul Prince, an army personnel spokesman at the Pentagon, wrote in an email to Stars and Stripes. The Army's announcement follows a similar move by the Marine Corps.