Bush Threatening to Halt Troop Pay, Unleash Insurgents

by: Brandon Friedman

Sun Jun 08, 2008 at 05:35:12 AM EDT


President Bush is threatening the lives of American troops if Congress doesn't give him the money he wants for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This is a technique commonly employed by those who conduct bank holdups and carjackings.  The Commander-in-Chief  has also pledged to stop paying troops in combat if America's wallet isn't handed over straightaway.  

From The Hill:

Bush said that if Congress does not act promptly, "critical accounts at the Department of Defense will soon run dry." He added that civilian employees may face "temporary layoffs," and the Pentagon would be forced to "close down a vital program that is getting potential insurgents off the streets and into jobs." If the supplemental spending bill is not enacted after July, Bush said, the department would "no longer be able to pay our troops," including ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I just want to be clear about two points:

1.  Insurgents kill Americans.  So when the President says that the Pentagon would be forced to "close down" a program that gets "potential insurgents off the streets," he's really saying that he'll deliberately allow the threat to American troops in Iraq increase if he doesn't get his money.  He's playing chicken with Congress at the expense of American lives in Iraq.  Make no mistake about it: More insurgents on the streets would lead to more American deaths.

Perhaps someone knows more about this than I do, but I suspect Bush might be setting a precedent here.  I'm not sure this has ever happened before.

2.  Bush is also threatening to stop paying troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This is funny, because I don't hear him threatening to cut the contracts of Halliburton, Blackwater, SAIC, and DynCorp--and thus cutting their employees' inflated salaries.  

This is a clear indication that the Bush administration is more loyal to contractors than to soldiers.  When forced to cut spending, Bush would rather starve members of the Armed Forces than cut the exorbitant pay checks given to those who work for privatized military companies.

Impeachment is too late at this point, but there's no reason that this appalling behavior shouldn't be hung around John McCain's neck--thus ensuring that the betrayal of the American military doesn't extend past January 2009.
Brandon Friedman :: Bush Threatening to Halt Troop Pay, Unleash Insurgents
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Bush Threatening to Halt Troop Pay, Unleash Insurgents | 14 comments
Here's the Great Chickenshat's Saturday Radio Address... (0.00 / 0)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news...

Bush vetoed the supplemental 5/1/07. He used the same threat then. Brainless, shameless, and gutless...He just sent the Lady Laura to Afghanistan.  Wonder what the Sunday Talkers will have on?

CNN just had a report from Tehran, mentioning the SOFA and violence in Baghdad.

Wish it were possible for the Troops to go on "Strike", like pro athletes.

Bet me that the vast majority of the Troops and the neo-cons will buy that this is all the DEMs in Congress's fault.

McConnell shut down the Senate Fri. because of problems with Bush's judicial nominees. He had the clerk read all 500 pages of the Global Warming Bill out loud. "A new Filibuster" technique?

Top 100 Contractors in oif/oef
http://www.publicintegrity.org...

Some that are under 'investigation' have had contracts renewed.

http://www.publicintegrity.org...
http://www.sourcewatch.org/ind...
Since Vietnam, Desert Storm, the Balkans,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K...

OMG: CNN Sunday Morning just had Ed Henry on (0.00 / 0)
discussing the Lady Laura in Afghanistan and a brief bit about the Bush Radio Address.  
[ Parent ]
The (0.00 / 0)
'chickenhawks', 'eagles up', 'gathering of eagles', 'vets for freedom' are backing whittle bush's toughness? as they overlook the reason why, Webbs G.I.Bill, in support of McBush alternative!!

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson
There are more contractors than troops in Iraq. (4.00 / 1)
They are paid a tremendous amount more than our troops and often provided with better equipment.  The greater majority of the funding, therefore, goes to the contractors.  Why then, do the troops have to be the first to suffer if Bush does not get his way?  This is a clear example of Bush using our troops as political tools to get his way.

"No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they're carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they've provided." - Barack Obama
Chris (0.00 / 0)
They've been doing that since the beginning!

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson
[ Parent ]
Impeachment (4.00 / 1)
:Impeachment is too late at this point"

Not so.  Pelosi, Reid, Conyers and the others pulled it off the table, because it divides the nation.  Even if Cheney steps in, he'll be in a straight jacket.  Their actions are offensive to our troops that need a leader that cares about them.

It's not too late to impeach. (0.00 / 0)
It'd tie the lil generals hands for the rest of his term even if the impeachment didn't go through. Also, there's this:

http://www.prosecutionofbush.c...

and time never runs out on murder.

[ Parent ]
The impeachment of Clinton only took 2 months (4.00 / 1)
Bill Clinton was impeached in the House in December and tried in the Senate two months later, in February.

We also have to consider that impeachment of Bush and Cheney could save the country from an unnecessary war with Iran.

[ Parent ]
Lets Hope (0.00 / 0)
The military leadership does that!!

I just now want them All Indicted!!

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson

[ Parent ]
A warning to my brothers in arms. (4.00 / 1)
I am an old Vietnam Veteran. 1967-1968. Three purple hearts. 10% disability from my wounds.

If you think your being shafted now. It only gets worse. Va health care is like no care at all. But you already know a bit about that from the articles about Peak and Perez. And there doing that while your still in uniform. You will be 2nd class citizens with no right to complain.
And if you get a GI home loan. You don`t get a guarantee. That is to the bank. They guarantee to the bank that you will pay them what is owed, no matter what happens. Lose your house because of job loss. Too bad. Get sick, too bad.

And education. You better pass. Or you will owe that money to.

When I went to Vietnam ,I thought I would fight the enemy. I didn't know the enemy was us.  

[ Parent ]
"Iraq for Sale" the horrifying movie (0.00 / 0)

This Bushwacking of our troops just gets me more infuriated daily.

Watched Greenwald's movie "Iraq for Sale" and was reminded that this war has always been about privatization and not our soldiers.

I think Bush and Cheney could be indicted on all these horrific modes of mistreatment and theft from our military.

I have to believe that something extraordinary is possible. (Mrs. John Nash)

Another way to look at it (4.00 / 1)
"Insurgents kill Americans.  So when the President says that the Pentagon would be forced to "close down" a program that gets "potential insurgents off the streets," he's really saying that he'll deliberately allow the threat to American troops in Iraq increase if he doesn't get his money."

Here is another way to look at that.   What Bush is saying is that if he doesn't get that money the insurgents will not get their payoff money either which means they will go back to killing American troops.

"Armed forces abroad are of little value unless there is prudent counsel at home."

Marcus Tullius Cicero 106 BC-43 BC

Can you imagine if we had tried this strategy in other wars (0.00 / 0)
How would America have reacted in 1943, if we just decided to pay the Nazis to not shoot at us?  Or in Vietnam, just cut a deal with the VC and for so much money each month, they would tell us who we should target?

If America wouldn't allow it then, why do they allow it now?

"No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they're carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they've provided." - Barack Obama

[ Parent ]
That's funny. I just found this article from 1943: (0.00 / 0)
U.S. now paying Nazis to not fight us

In an effort to keep casualties low and the home front pacified as the war moves into its fifth year, President Roosevelt announced today that the U.S. government would begin making payments to Nazi Waffen SS commanders on the ground in France and the Soviet Union.  The payments are part of a plan to lessen the fighting that has spread both east and west over the past year.

Security analysts loyal to President Roosevelt believe that the money is essential to keep certain SS units from engaging American forces.  They do not believe, however, that these payments will have any effect on the Nazis' treatment of ethnic minorities in Europe.

The President's spokesman said that the payments are necessary to secure peace in the region, but that they do not represent an inability on the part of America's fighting forces to defeat the Nazis on the ground.

"This is just something the President feels we need to do at this point," the spokesman said.

See how stupid this sounds?  So if this is such a cataclysmic fight to the death with "Islamo-fascists," then why aren't Bush-McCain-Limbaugh types howling over how we're fighting the Iraq war?

[ Parent ]
Bush Threatening to Halt Troop Pay, Unleash Insurgents | 14 comments
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