June 28, 2010
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today made the following statement on the floor of the House concerning and expected vote on a $33 billion supplemental war spending bill.
“In a little more than a year, the United States flew $12 billion in cash to Iraq, much of it in $100 bills, shrink wrapped and loaded on pallets. Vanity Fair reported in 2004 that ‘at least $9 billion’ of the cash had ‘gone missing.’ $9 billion.
“Today we learned that suitcases of $3billion in cash have openly moved through the Kabul airport. One U.S. official quoted by the Wall Street Journal said, ‘A lot of this looks like tax dollars being stolen.’ $3 billion. Consider this as the American people sweat out an extension of unemployment benefits.
“Last week the BBC reported that “the U.S. military has been giving away tens of millions of dollars to Afghan security firms who are funneling the money to warlords.” Add to that a corrupt Afghan government underwritten by the lives of our troops.
“And now reports indicate that Congress is preparing to attach $10 million in state education funding to a $33 billion spending bill to keep the war going.”
“Back home millions of Americans are out of work, losing their homes, losing their savings, their pensions, and their retirement security. We are losing our country to lies about the necessity of war.”
“Bring our troop home. End the war. Secure the economy.”
http://www.youtube.com/djkucinich (cut and paste to your browser)