US gives away billons in assets in Iraq

[trooper]

US gives away billons in assets in Iraq

September 26th, 2011 11:08 am

The United States Depart of Defense has found a nifty way of cutting costs in planning for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Rather than ship home millions of pieces of equipment from Americans bases abroad, the military is simply giving them away.

Nearly two-and-a-half million pieces of equipment, estimated at a cost of $250 million, have so far been given to the Iraqi government by the US military in the last year alone, reports The Huffington Post.

As the DoD looks to empty out the bases that cost Americans billions of dollars towards erecting during the last decade, everything from air conditioning units to army tanks are being handed over to the foreign government in order to avoid the costly bill of shipping those supplies back to the States.

http://rt.com/usa/news/us-iraq-troops-bases-413/

[aliciadogz]

obama way cutting cost,when, come here in the states forget it!

[chocolate1]

US gives away billons in assets in Iraq

September 26th, 2011 11:08 am

The United States Depart of Defense has found a nifty way of cutting costs in planning for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Rather than ship home millions of pieces of equipment from Americans bases abroad, the military is simply giving them away.

Nearly two-and-a-half million pieces of equipment, estimated at a cost of $250 million, have so far been given to the Iraqi government by the US military in the last year alone, reports The Huffington Post.

As the DoD looks to empty out the bases that cost Americans billions of dollars towards erecting during the last decade, everything from air conditioning units to army tanks are being handed over to the foreign government in order to avoid the costly bill of shipping those supplies back to the States.

http://rt.com/usa/news/us-iraq-troops-bases-413/

...maybe im not paying enough attention-but when are we going to see any returns at all from all of our money and human sacrifice in that place? and dont tell me we were there for the oil, cuz that dog is just not going to hunt!

[cooperwaits]

The equipment we have over there probably has alot of sand in it from the enviroment too. I would imagine that would be hard to get clean out if they were to bring things back.

[tarsi]

Well why don't we just blame it on Obama, everything else is... and all the while hard working americans that have worked for unemployment benefits, have to beg for it in times of need and are lucky if they get it, I recall hearing this war would pay for its self, sure with our benefits, cause apperantly once they have it its nolonger ours, what about selling all that equipment to the Iraq's and give the money back to the American people. Makes sense to me

[FrankenSLI]

Great example of waste of taxpayer dollars.

[Cherysh]

I read this on AOL today....WTH!!! Our situation in the US just feels more and more hopeless with these morons!! So lets leave this all there, so they are nice and stocked up on our dime. Whats its going to cost the American people to replace all that stuff. I wont blame Obama, I will blame the entire US government and their ridiculous way of thinking, and how they have allowed it to be the "Normal" way of operation. Its pretty bad when its a weekly, sometimes daily occurrence of them doing or saying something stupid that draws us further into demise!! WTG US!!

[xyzzy]

Whether this is a silly thing or a cost effective thing depends on the cost of replacing it and the cost of shipping it back and refurbishing it etc. Unless you know such details, you have no basis to make such claims one way or the other. F-16s, yep cheaper to bring back. office equipment, desks, etc Likely not so much.

[tarsi]

selling it to them and not giving it away...................Priceless

[B-gap]

This is SOP, although it is kinda odd were just giving it away we often just sell it at a vastly discounted price.

[bodeen]

Giving it away????

[skitealwedrop]

Whether this is a silly thing or a cost effective thing depends on the cost of replacing it and the cost of shipping it back and refurbishing it etc. Unless you know such details, you have no basis to make such claims one way or the other. F-16s, yep cheaper to bring back. office equipment, desks, etc Likely not so much.

I agree with you. There are some assets on the ground in Iraq that need to be brought back to the US and some that have depreciated and should be retired. Leave the relics in Iraq. Let's bring our men and women home first and worry about the hardware later.

Sorry guys, I'm venting. I'm so over greed!

Peace to all!

[Mazzz27]

doesn't it mean the more money they get the more they can back up the dinar?

[Don Diva]

Well why don't we just blame it on Obama, everything else is... and all the while hard working americans that have worked for unemployment benefits, have to beg for it in times of need and are lucky if they get it, I recall hearing this war would pay for its self, sure with our benefits, cause apperantly once they have it its nolonger ours, what about selling all that equipment to the Iraq's and give the money back to the American people. Makes sense to me

Thats what the good ol USA does spends all its time and money helping other countries instead of helping its own

[skitealwedrop]

Thats what the good ol USA does spends all its time and money helping other countries instead of helping its own

I agree with your thoughts. I'm sick and tired of the US bailing other countries out of their despair at our expense. Send me to Washington. I will argue our case in a decisive manner.

[Captjohn]

More brilliance from our government that never met a dollar they couldn't waste....your/our dollars!

[gbosh]

Folks, this happens stateside too.

When the military has outdated, used, and otherwise unwanted items that still have values such as furniture, electronics, equipment, vehicles, etc. they pretty much 'give' it away here too. The DOD recaptures SOME of the value of the items by selling locally Non Appropriated Funds (NAF) sales to the public. Sometimes there are items in lots, sometimes the items are sold individually. It happens regularly, and YOU can contact your closest military installation and ask when the next sale is (recommend asking Outdoor Recreation).

I have seen first hand this 'giving away' in Iraq as the base where I was located was drawing down as our troops were being moved. But the items being taken by the Iraqis were only figuratively 'given away.' Just like here, there was an open bid process for lots of items to be PURCHASED by the highest bidder. What you consider pennies on the dollar for these particular (and considerably large) items was actually a bargain for us because we didn't have to haul out used (abused) items as we repaired the location to the way we found it. If you didn't know, as we reduce our footprint in Iraq, we are returning the space we occupy to the condition it was in before we arrived. We basically plopped down our living/messing/recreational quarters and items and now we are removing (or selling) them.

Another issues is customs. Every item that leaves the Middle East coming come has to pass customs before it heads this way. Every items has to be COMPLETELY FREE of anything that might be considered a contaminant. Our vehicles that have been over there the better part of a decade would cost a small fortune to insure they were ready to ship home, and that doesn't even address the wear/tear and depreciation over the past several years.

Bottom line, it's much more economical for us to leave these items with the Iraqis at a reasonable expense than to bring them home. Supposedly, the process fosters good will as well.....

gbosh

[gregp]

What's wrong with giving?

[skitealwedrop]

Folks, this happens stateside too.

When the military has outdated, used, and otherwise unwanted items that still have values such as furniture, electronics, equipment, vehicles, etc. they pretty much 'give' it away here too. The DOD recaptures SOME of the value of the items by selling locally Non Appropriated Funds (NAF) sales to the public. Sometimes there are items in lots, sometimes the items are sold individually. It happens regularly, and YOU can contact your closest military installation and ask when the next sale is (recommend asking Outdoor Recreation).

I have seen first hand this 'giving away' in Iraq as the base where I was located was drawing down as our troops were being moved. But the items being taken by the Iraqis were only figuratively 'given away.' Just like here, there was an open bid process for lots of items to be PURCHASED by the highest bidder. What you consider pennies on the dollar for these particular (and considerably large) items was actually a bargain for us because we didn't have to haul out used (abused) items as we repaired the location to the way we found it. If you didn't know, as we reduce our footprint in Iraq, we are returning the space we occupy to the condition it was in before we arrived. We basically plopped down our living/messing/recreational quarters and items and now we are removing (or selling) them.

Another issues is customs. Every item that leaves the Middle East coming come has to pass customs before it heads this way. Every items has to be COMPLETELY FREE of anything that might be considered a contaminant. Our vehicles that have been over there the better part of a decade would cost a small fortune to insure they were ready to ship home, and that doesn't even address the wear/tear and depreciation over the past several years.

Bottom line, it's much more economical for us to leave these items with the Iraqis at a reasonable expense than to bring them home. Supposedly, the process fosters good will as well.....

gbosh

[/quote

Thanks for your words gbosh. They make sense to me. The US needs an exit plan, soon. A plan that is the least costly to the US and beneficial to to the Iraqi people in some way.

[a1911handler]

I've got firsthand knowlege about gear from Iraq also.

Most of what I work on was so full of sand and baked so brittle that the corrosion treatment and rewire time was way more expensive than a brand new asset.

That stuff from the ME has been used to its fullest and a lot of it coming back is in pretty bad shape.

[misty969]

TRUST ME LADIES AND GENTS, THE IRAQI ARMY HAS ALOT OF OUR EQUIPMENT.

I have worked in iraq for 5 years and i have seen from Hummer's to c-130 airplanes that belong to the iraqi army. we simply give hummer's, MRAP trucks,C-130 aircraft, and weapons. We need to get our money back and the quickess way I can think is this Iraqi dinar. Give us our money back for the cost of this war and lives lost!!!!

[Deep Purple]

What's wrong with giving?

Nothing wrong with giving at all. Hurry up and give us the RV Iraq, and stop delaying.

[FOUNDIT]

WHO CARES ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT......I care more about the men and woman who gave all to help IRAQ regain her sovereignty. And now the Iraqis keep fumbling the football. I BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THE DINAR IN AMERICAN HANDS IS HELD BY AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.For Iraq to RV would be a great way of saying THANK YOU to those who died, so that many in IRAQ could live free.Will they? Well so far its been nothing but lies and deceit.Those in power should be ashamed at the lack of respect and appreciation for those who died in the line of duty,while they enjoy their new freedoms.There is no greater coward then those who hide from the truth and steal what they have not paid for.If IRAQ dose the unthinkable and screws the free world i say we should withdraw all foreign aid destroy all our assets there,and disallow any investment in Iraq forever from the USA.

[sheepdog]

Why don't we get something in exchange for giving Iraq all that equipment, like some free oil? We are still paying Iraq to "Rebuild & reconstruct their country" Why don't we get something back in exchange for all we did for them? Let's hope the Iraqi's use this equipment the right way, to defend themselves if & when needed! I hope it does not get sold to the wrong people who will do harm with it.

[burn_the_village]

ya give an iraqi a perfectly good working A/C window unit and he smashes the thing to bits to get to the copper and resell

What is the point?

yes i'm not kidding....