Did you know the Gulf War was paid for by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait?

[Howard_Roark]

I was watching a documentary on PBS that mentioned in passing something I was totally unaware of - the US asked for and got payment for the Gulf War to the tune of $50 billion from Saudi Arabia and $17 billion from Kuwait. You can times that at least x2 for inflation, and that is serious money. Apparently it was enough, and probably then some for the entire war. I actually thought it was really smart, they are really rich countries obviously. It just makes you realize how much smarter GHWB was than GWB. He did a precision in and out war and got paid for it to boot. Now we have spent $1 trillion and counting and it's still going on with Iraq and Afghanistan.

[james1906]

Yep, that's why countries like Senegal and Czechoslovakia sent small contingents. It's also the US and allies did not go into Baghdad to remove Saddam, because the Saudis said no.

[RonPaulCult]

Awesome. Our government should start a business. We can bomb any country - just give us a call. We'll be like the Ghostbusters - except with bad ass planes. We have no shortage of young, unemployed people who can sacrifice their lives for the company - err I mean country. Yeah that's it. Country.

[Blueskies]

Yeah, we're basically mercenaries.

[klamath]

Yep, even troops activated to backfill in the states got paid by the Kuwaitis and Saudis. Every JP4 fuel receit I filled out, even for missions to save americans civilians, was marked with the code for desert storm so it could be charged to Kuwait and Saudia Arabia. They wanted us there BAD.

[teacherone]

did not know this...interesting

i wonder how much the saudis are offering us to whack iran?

[Heimdallr]

Obvi, considering that the entire reason we went to war was to protect SA and Kuwait. Not a secret.

[MozoVote]

Kuwait was quite public that they would pay for the war, as the troop building began in Saudi Arabia.

[Zippyjuan]

What happened in the Gulf War unfortunately set up the Iraq War. Bush Jr felt his Dad should have finished the job (not to mention the reported attempt on his Dad's life by Iraq). Given that the first one was quick and cost us nothing he thought he too could take out Iraq very fast and very cheap. There were a couple of other reasons they wanted a distraction too. One was the recession of 2001. Second was that the War in Afghanistan and the hunt for Osama Bin Laden were going nowhere- Iraq would take people's minds off those things. Now look where we are in terms of both time and treasure. He was just going to rush in and out and be a hero.

[Matt Collins]

Yep. And I once met the accountant in the Army who sat at the table and processed the transaction when the Saudi royalty gave the US the money. I thought this was public knowledge by now.

[libertarian4321]

Yep, even troops activated to backfill in the states got paid by the Kuwaitis and Saudis. Every JP4 fuel receit I filled out, even for missions to save americans civilians, was marked with the code for desert storm so it could be charged to Kuwait and Saudia Arabia.

Horse crap.

Yes, most of our ESTIMATED expenses in that war were reimbursed, eventually. Much of the money came from the Gulf States, but Japan and Germany pitched in roughly half of the money.

However, we weren't dicking around keeping receipts for JP4 or beans or bullets or toilet paper or anything else.

And as an active duty soldier during desert shield/storm, I sure as Hell wasn't being paid by the Saudis.

We were funded by American taxpayers, just as we always are.

We went over there BEFORE the pledges of financial support. Saudi Arabia, Germany, Japan, UAE, Korea, Kuwait, and others eventually reimbursed us for most of our ESTIMATED expenses related to the war.

BTW, desert storm was only the last part of the operation- most of the expenses were incurred during desert shield (the buildup to the war).

I'm also curious, what operations was our military involved with to "save americans civilians"?


They wanted us there BAD.

That's the only part of your post that rings true.

[libertarian4321]

Yep. And I once met the accountant in the Army who sat at the table and processed the transaction when the Saudi royalty gave the US the money. I thought this was public knowledge by now.

The guy you met was bull shitting you.

Why in the name of Hell would "an Army accountant" be "processing the transaction" even if the Saudis did directly fund the war (which they did NOT do, btw)?

The money was pledged to the US by SEVERAL countries- I listed the biggest contributors in my last post, but there were others, who paid most of the money well after the combat had ended.

The money wasn't given to the US Army (or Navy or Air Force or Marines), it was given to the US Treasury. No need for an "army accountant to process the transaction."

[vita3]

Wikileaks, shows Saudi Arabia is more a of threat to a stable Iraq, than Iran

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/05/wikileaks-cables-saudi-meddling-iraq

[Stary Hickory]

Well better than the Federal Reserve financing it. Although not a fan of the war in any sense.

[klamath]

Horse crap.

Yes, most of our ESTIMATED expenses in that war were reimbursed, eventually. Much of the money came from the Gulf States, but Japan and Germany pitched in roughly half of the money.

However, we weren't dicking around keeping receipts for JP4 or beans or bullets or toilet paper or anything else.

And as an active duty soldier during desert shield/storm, I sure as Hell wasn't being paid by the Saudis.

We were funded by American taxpayers, just as we always are.

We went over there BEFORE the pledges of financial support. Saudi Arabia, Germany, Japan, UAE, Korea, Kuwait, and others eventually reimbursed us for most of our ESTIMATED expenses related to the war.

BTW, desert storm was only the last part of the operation- most of the expenses were incurred during desert shield (the buildup to the war).

I'm also curious, what operations was our military involved with to "save americans civilians"?



That's the only part of your post that rings true.

Sure the US paid but it was one of our cheaper wars. We sure as hell weren't reembursed for Bosnia and Kosovo.
Yes Japan and other countries paid. Everything was paid for by the US government however the US was hugely reembursed for expenses.
MAST mission. (military assitance to safety and transportation) in El paso/San Antonio Texas. For a 100 member medevac unit almost 400 rescue mission in 9 months, almost all civilian or American Indians.
As far as not having to make notes on receits in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, that is because everything in the theater could be charged to the the payers. Only units activated for desert shield/storm within the US could be reembursed but if you want to call me a liar then you can got to hell.

[TNforPaul45]

Someone in our government always gets paid for going to war, and paid by someone else, it's just a matter of finding out who.

[Howard_Roark]

I don't know where people here are getting there sources but as per the PBS Frontline "House of Saud" James Baker said when he raised the issue of payment, the Saudi King simply said "What is money between friends?" And told him to see his finance minister to get payment. They then just came up with a totally arbitrary number that they thought estimated the cost of the war, they literally wrote it on the back of an envelope. I really doubt there was any billing/accounting going on since there is no real way to estimate something like that.

[klamath]

I don't know where people here are getting there sources but as per the PBS Frontline "House of Saud" James Baker said when he raised the issue of payment, the Saudi King simply said "What is money between friends?" And told him to see his finance minister to get payment. They then just came up with a totally arbitrary number that they thought estimated the cost of the war, they literally wrote it on the back of an envelope. I really doubt there was any billing/accounting going on since there is no real way to estimate something like that.
My source is I was directed to write operation Desert Storm on the fuel receits I signed, by my chain of command and was told it was so it could be billed. Now as far as whether those receits ever were personally flown to the king of saudi Arabia and were personally handed a check or cash nobody in the world knows, not PBS not anyone. My info on it is my personal experience, not hearsay, not a news story or anything else but if people believe I am lying I really don't give a damn.