Remember when it was only going to cost tax payers 1.7 billion?

I remember hearing the war hawks on the news telling Americans that the war in Iraq was only going to cost Americans 1.7 billion.. I remember them saying that Iraqi oil would pay for most of the reconstruction... that was then, this is now:
"A study by Columbia University economist Joseph E. Stiglitz and Harvard lecturer Linda Bilmes projects the long-term cost of the Iraq war may EXCEED 2 TRILLION (!!!!!!!) DOLLARS." And it's coming out of your pockets. You are paying for the chaos in Iraq. The incompetence and the building of hatred for the United States. And mostly for the corruption.
3 years ago Ted Natsois the US AID director told us straight faced:
"And that's why this whole thing is gonna cost the US taxpayers nothing. $1.7 billion was the estimate from US AID director Andrew Natsios. That's what he told Ted Koppel on Nightline, to which Koppel responded with the flat incredulity of the last serious newsman on the networks: "You're not suggesting that the rebuilding of Iraq is gonna be done for $1.7 billion?" asked ABC's Ted. Natsios went further on a limb: "Well, in terms of the American taxpayers contribution, I do, this is it for the US."

From TomPaine.com:
update 2/28/06: " President Bush just sent Congress a request for another $72.4 billion for the Iraq war and occupation. Instead of writing another blank check, Congress should commit itself to a thorough investigation of the incompetence and corruption that has undermined the reconstruction mission. At the same time that it demands that the administration provide a clearer overall strategy in Iraq, Congress should establish a permanent committee on war profiteering and corruption modeled after the one Harry Truman chaired during World War II.

So far, the only effort to hold contractors accountable for illegal or incompetent actions has been in the courts. On February 13th, arguments began in the first high-profile civil fraud case filed against an Iraq war contractor. Two whistleblowers are charging Custer Battles LLC with using sham invoices and offshore shell companies to defraud taxpayers of $50 million while performing security work.

With Halliburton receiving over half the value of the Iraq reconstruction contracts, all calls for accountability have automatically been dismissed as a partisan attack on the vice president or an element of the anti-war agenda that threatens to undermine troop morale.

Senator Ensign finally held his hearing earlier this month, (but) no other Republicans were present. A cynic might say that he is merely going through the motions to try to take the issue off the table before the fall elections. Yet if Ensign were to drill deeper than his investigation has gone so far, he would probably find that the contractors like Halliburton have not only bilked taxpayers, but some of their actions have undermined the military’s overall mission.

This lack of oversight isn't only a fiscal concern; it also has dangerous implications for U.S. troops. Two ex-employees of Kellogg, Brown & Root—a subsidiary of Halliburton—for example, have charged the Army’s number one contractor with exposing U.S. troops to contaminated water from the Euphrates .

"I don't know how many [troops] might have gotten sick as a result," says Ben Carter, one of the two KBR whistleblowers, who has 20 years of experience working as a water purification expert. "I can't know, because Halliburton apparently has no records and refuses to acknowledge there might be a problem."

Because the issue has as much to do with fiscal responsibility as it does with protecting American troops, Congress should provide for much greater oversight before giving Bush and Rumsfeld another $72 billion check. The incompetence, cronyism, and corruption witnessed in Katrina-related contracts underscores the need for much greater oversight.

Legislation requiring contractor accountability should apply the lessons of Iraq to all federal contracts. Not only do we need to crack down on the kind of cronyism that puts incompetent people in the wrong places, and no-bid contracts like those given to Halliburton, but clear criminal sanctions are needed for war profiteering as well as new protections for those brave enough to blow the whistle. All of this and a vigilant Congress willing to investigate is needed to create a shift in contracting culture"

And to make matters worse, the NYT's today has this:
The Army has decided to reimburse a Halliburton subsidiary for nearly all of its disputed costs on a $2.41 billion no-bid contract to deliver fuel and repair oil equipment in Iraq, even though the Pentagon's own auditors had identified more than $250 million in charges as potentially excessive or unjustified.

I don't know about you but i'm getting pretty damned sick of it. I think it's time for an on line tax system where we choose what percentage of our money goes to what programs.. including the military. Let's find a way to keep their filthy hands off of our money and put it where it belongs, supporting our troops and supporting America.