Holy $h***t
April 19, 2003 7:59 PM   Subscribe

Soldiers Find $650 Million in US Currency "A huge cache of United States currency that American soldiers found hidden in one of Saddam Hussein's palaces could be as much as $656 million, senior officials said today."
posted by Sixtieslibber (34 comments total)
 
I'd sure like to find $650 million.
posted by delmoi at 8:06 PM on April 19, 2003


Don't these guys watch movies? I know what I'd do if I found $650m, and it wouldn't involve getting into the NYTimes.
posted by Space Coyote at 8:33 PM on April 19, 2003


Are we sure it wasn't George Clooney, Mark Walhberg, and Ice Cube that found all this money?
posted by SenshiNeko at 8:34 PM on April 19, 2003


Anyone else think that movie would have been a lot better had they not felt the need to turn the main characters into heroes at the end? Felt like a sell-out to me...
posted by Space Coyote at 8:54 PM on April 19, 2003


That could buy me a billion cans of Fresca from my office vending machine. Mmm.. Fresca...
posted by PrinceValium at 9:06 PM on April 19, 2003


Soldiers find $700 million, report finding $650 million.
posted by jpoulos at 9:13 PM on April 19, 2003


Funny, I can't seem to find this on any other news sites. It even was on Yahoo earlier & now its not. Am I crazy?
posted by thekorruptor at 9:22 PM on April 19, 2003


I've seen it on CNN's TV coverage. Lots of metal boxes in a concrete building with no windows.
posted by destro at 9:26 PM on April 19, 2003


oohh, tee-vee. I guess I am crazy...
posted by thekorruptor at 9:30 PM on April 19, 2003


it's covered fairly well. maybe you're crazy!
posted by rhyax at 9:47 PM on April 19, 2003


Oh, THAT'S where I left my wallet! Not to worry - I'll reward those good soldiers with a few dollars upon the prompt return of my money.
posted by davidmsc at 11:02 PM on April 19, 2003


Gosh, a couple hundred more finds like that and this war is paid for. So far, anyway.
posted by George_Spiggott at 11:22 PM on April 19, 2003


if saddam is still alive he's sitting in his bunker pissed off that the US found his cash stash.
posted by suprfli at 2:22 AM on April 20, 2003


btw, did anyone notice the picture of the major in the NYT article? Major Rodney King.
posted by suprfli at 2:24 AM on April 20, 2003


Wait - do the US get to take this money? Doesn't that constitute looting/pillaging? Against a number of international laws?

Technically that money would belong to the Iraqi government, non? Eh, it'll all go back to the US via paying off the construction companies anyway though..
posted by Mossy at 3:12 AM on April 20, 2003


Gold bars today.
If they can guard this, why could they not guard Iraqi businesses to save them from looting?
posted by asok at 3:51 AM on April 20, 2003


I say we lock it all up in a safe and then the last one of us alive gets to keep the lot. What do you say guys?

Do you fancy a cool glass of Ricin Daquarii....?

mossy reminded me... I can't find anything written down about this, but I think I'm looking in the wrong places.

According to my rarely wrong fiancee, the company who has been given the contract to put in all the new phones, water and electricity systems in Iraq is 40% owned by Dubya.

Anyone confirm or (hopefully) deny this one?
posted by twine42 at 5:13 AM on April 20, 2003


twine42: Wrong. If it were true, don't you think that EVERY news outlet would be all over the story?
posted by davidmsc at 8:48 AM on April 20, 2003


spin, spin, spin your boat, gently down the stream!
posted by angry modem at 8:52 AM on April 20, 2003


If it were true, don't you think that EVERY news outlet would be all over the story?

Yes, that's so true. If you don't read about it in the paper, it didn't happen.

Wait - do the US get to take this money?

Every article I have read, including the one you are ostensibly commenting on, indicates that the cash will be turned over to the new Iraqi leadership. Who Dick Cheney turns it over to when he gets it is a different story.
posted by troybob at 9:01 AM on April 20, 2003


Maybe this US money could be used to pay the US soldiers. Anything left over could go to the Veteran's fund.

But more likely is that Bush will find yet other ways to use it to line his and his cronies pockets. They soldiers will get screwed over once again.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:54 AM on April 20, 2003


There was a big problem with alleged state-sponsered counterfeit cash showing up after the Gulf War which was a big reason for the new currency design.
posted by stbalbach at 10:18 AM on April 20, 2003




I'm missing your point, Steve. You're saying that sanctions didn't contribute to 1.5M infant deaths? Or that not sanctioning would still have resulted in 1.5M infant deaths?
posted by five fresh fish at 12:18 PM on April 20, 2003


I think S@L's point was that Saddam's greed played more of a role in the death of 1.5 million infants than the UN sanctions.
posted by gyc at 12:43 PM on April 20, 2003


My point fff, is that:

1. The United Nations completely bungled the management of the sanctions & the 'Oil for Food' program. Again the UN has proven itself incompetent, yet some of our "allies" want the United Nations to run Iraq.

2. It was not the sanctions, while the mismanagement did not have a positive affect, that killed one and a half million infants. It was Saddam and his Ba'ath party cronies.

The argument being put forth by the likes of the articles I linked to, was that the sanctions were limiting the food & medical supplies needed by the people of Iraq, not just military equipment. We now know, beyond a doubt, this argument to be false. Warehouses full of UN foodstuffs have been found hidden from the public. When Marines went through Uday Hussein's palace they found among other things boxes & boxes of UNICEF relief packages. Add this to the more than half a billion in US currency found in cash, and the lavish palaces that were build during the last years while the sanctions were in effect. It become very clear that there was no lack of funds or humanitarian aid to feed or provide medical support for the Iraqi people.

So the sanctions themselves are not to be held responsible for the deaths and suffering of the Iraqi people. The United Nations apathetic mismanagement and the Ba'athists are to be held to account.

But still there are some that think the United Nations should control Iraq.

For more on the United Nations recent history of rebuilding war-torn nations take the time to read this.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 1:15 PM on April 20, 2003


Ah.

So who should control Iraq?
posted by five fresh fish at 2:31 PM on April 20, 2003


Iraqis. Duh.
posted by Mars Saxman at 3:01 PM on April 20, 2003


*DING*DING*DING*

Mars Saxman answers the $64,000 question correctly...
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 3:27 PM on April 20, 2003


of course the most important comment about all of this:

The real movie reference your looking for is Kelly's Heroes, which DOES have them getting away with the cash (and a nifty tiger tank) and also a great anachronistic hippy (oh, yeah, and did i mention Clint Eastwood and many others...). It's the movie Three Kings was attempting to remake and failed to (but did come close). Ok, back to your flamming thread in progress...

...well, ok, i'd also suggest Where Eagles Dare as long as we're talking about WWII Clint Eastwood movies
posted by NGnerd at 8:06 PM on April 20, 2003


I'm glad the contributions from the Iran/Contra affair were discovered.
posted by FormlessOne at 9:55 PM on April 20, 2003


K, just checking. I half expected you to suggest that the USA run Iraq.
posted by five fresh fish at 11:39 PM on April 20, 2003


twine42: Wrong. If it were true, don't you think that EVERY news outlet would be all over the story?
davidmsc: it's already in the news (but I figure you were being sarcastic).

Anyone confirm or (hopefully) deny this one?
twine42: your rarely wrong fiancee is right.

Read:
Bechtel - Firm with close links to White House given $680m deal to rebuild electrical, water and sewage systems
and
Rebuilding Iraq

Unfortunately I can't find the links to the more interesting news anymore (when I do, I'll post them). Nonetheless, according to DPA there are six hand picked companies that together share the responsibility of rebuilding Iraq. These six companies are the major financial contributors to the US government.
posted by psychomedia at 12:00 AM on April 22, 2003


and some more on Bechtel
posted by psychomedia at 1:27 AM on April 22, 2003


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