What has $300 billion bought?

On April 21, the Senate approved an emergency spending measure allotting $81 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A total of four emergency war appropriations have now been passed, bringing the overall costs of the "war on terrorism" to more than $300 billion.

The AP noted that $75 billion from the most recent appropriation "would go to the Pentagon. The Army and the Marine Corps, the two service branches doing most of the fighting, would get the most." In addition, the Senate version of the bill sets aside money to increase the one-time benefit for families of soldiers who die in combat-related duty, from $12,000 to $100,000.

While the Bush administration and its defenders depict the amount as a trifling price to pay for bringing "freedom" to the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan continue to be barren of anything resembling freedom and stability. In addition, Iraq's new "democratic" government continues to reinstate some of the worst elements of the Saddam-era dictatorship.

To deal with the ongoing insurgency, Iraq's government may turn to "some of Iraq's most experienced intelligence operatives," reported AP on April 22. "The problem is that the officers" [experience] comes from working at the fear-inspiring agencies once run by Saddam Hussein's ruling party." These officials, commented the report, "were blamed for some of the former regime's worst brutality."

Last year, before turning over the reins of government to an Iranian-aligned Shi'ite coalition, interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi "decided to recall some of Saddam's former intelligence operatives, including individuals working in Iran, Syria, and Russia, to help staff the new [intelligence[ service. American intelligence veterans say the U.S. supported the move, seen as an effort to bring trained people into the government and give them jobs." Furthermore, "the CIA has been intimately involved in helping establish the [intelligence] organization by assisting with basic building blocks such as how to assemble intelligence information in databases and keep the material secure."