I'll Never Get Used To Iraq

Bob Schieffer: We Got Bored With Vietnam On TV, But Iraq Never Stops Shocking Us

(CBS)  Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

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People try to compare the war in Iraq to Vietnam. Here's one way they are not alike. As America bogged down in Vietnam, we saw so much violence on our TV screens that after a while, the pictures lost their shock value. We became used to them.

Well, whatever else you can say about Iraq, it has yet to lose its ability to shock.

And it's not just the rising death toll. When it comes to outrageous conduct, the Iraqi government can always seem to find a way to top itself.

The latest shocker comes from the Bush administration's own Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. Remember all those rebuilding projects in Iraq that are cited as signs of progress? Well, there is more to it, it turns out, than we knew.

Yes, Americans are doing a lot of building – nearly $6 billion worth of power plants and hospitals. The problem is we can't get the Iraqi government to take them off our hands. Of 2,797 projects, the Iraqis have been willing to take over fewer than 500. That means the rest have fallen into the hands of people who many times have no idea how to operate them.

The latest example: A recently completed power plant shut down after unqualified workers put the wrong fuel in $90 million turbines and ruined them.

The Iraqi Parliament is heading off to a month-long vacation next week. If you are wondering how much all this will cost us while they are away, key members of Congress are being told $200,000 a minute.

I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that.

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E-mail Face the Nation.

[perception5]

Thanks Bob for your "very reliable" liberal comments.

I hope to God when you retire that CBS "hires" a "moderate" or "conservative" to replace you. The last thing Americans need at this point is another "liberal Democrat" journlists.

Rick Kaplan, make it so.

[skeezix06]

It's WAY past time for us to get out. $200,000 a minute? Destroyed $90,000,000 turbines due to incompetence? Didn't they care enough to find someone qualified to take care of the equipment? This is sickening. Thank you for the information.

[skeezix06]

Do you know how funny it is to "hear" a conservative complain about his perception of Schieffer's political affiliation while simultaneously not batting an eyelash at the idea of us spending $200,000 a minute in Iraq or losing a $90,000,000 investment due to either incompetence or carelessness? I remember a time when the conservatives would have been hanging from the rafters, trees, and flagpoles screaming their heads off about this.

[rushlimpdrug]

"Here's one way they are not alike. As America bogged down in Vietnam, we saw so much violence on our TV screens that after a while, the pictures lost their shock value. . .. . .Of 2,797 projects, the Iraqis have been willing to take over fewer than 500."

bob, what the helll are you trying to say? ?
After all these years in Iraq you write this mumbo-jumbo? ?
Were you supposed to g"et used to Iraq"? ?
Maybe you should be writing about Paris Hilton. At least there you can scatter write.
Lame writing about a serious subject filled with some figures. Thanks for nothing.
Retire to some crazzy azz old folks home and take that idiot "perception5" nut case with you.

[photogeezer]

The country became bored with the Vietnam War, and it became bored with those of us left in country, holding on until our country came to its senses.

The news out of Iraq is numbing in its stupidity and incompetence. When we think we have heard it all, its gets more bizarre.

I am afraid that, for too many of us, the decent, trusting young people onto whose backs we have placed this thankless burden are other people's kids. I talk to few people who know anyone in the war. I'm afraid that the outrage just isn't there, in numbers or in intensity. The price of gas evokes more anger and outrage.

I can tell you where the outrage is. Viet Nam veterans I meet are incensed, to the point of rage, over the mess in which we have placed these young people.

Bob, you and your colleagues keep up the good work. The press was telling the truth in the 60's, just as you are telling the truth now. I just wish you had questioned and probed more in 2003 and before.

[sjc_1]

This turning over war logistics to contractors, the no bid contracts and the lucrative rebuilding contracts have all been a windfall for a few well connected individuals and companies. If you are friends of friends to this so called administration, you are all set. There is no problem for you or your company with this kind of corporate welfare.

[bhandel58]

Bob Schieffer a liberal, I guess one can come to that conclusion from whatever deranged position they are at. I don't think Mr. Schieffer is a liberal. Just to give you perspective on my political stance I consider myself to be a moderate Democrat. I concurred with Tom Friedman that it had been possible for America and President Bush to win the Iraq War even though I felt that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 or that at the time had weapons of mass destruction. The Bush administration has never waged this military action with competency. How in the hell can you defend the results of where we are at. We won WW 2 in less then 4 years against 2 battle hardened foes. Osama Bin Laden is still out there. Enough said.

[one_american]

Shame on you, Bob Schieffer.

Just shame on you.

[jimfinster]

Shame on you, Bob Schieffer.
Posted by One_American at 01:06 PM : Jul 29, 2007

Hearing the truth must be shock to you. You sure never heard it from your neocon leaders...

[pastdue1]

Bob:
How does it feel to be called a Neocon one moment and a Liberal the next? The question really should not be whether or not the Iraqi's were qualified to take over projects, or whether they just didn't want to. The question really should be is what in the world the United States was doing when they kept on constructing projects which kept on being not being taken over and eventually went to wrack and ruin. The Iraqi's are in a state of chaos, so they can somewhat be excused. The USA is just plain squandering money or making some corporations very rich.

[feelfree1]

Mr. Schieffer,

Re: "When it comes to outrageous conduct, the Iraqi government"

The Iraq "government" is a cruel joke, installed under the boot of an illegal and immoral invasion- one which you have helped to cheerlead. Not one "official's" name in in the current Iraqi "government" appeared on the ballot. Not one.

The Iraqi government has as much credibililty as being representative of the people of Iraq, as you do as a journalist.

None.

You are now trying to blame the made-in-USA catastrophe in Iraq, on the puppet government officials, and on the Iraqi victims. You are truly a disgrace to the very concept of journalism, and to your country.

Why not retire, and stop embarrassig yourself with this nonsense?

[bhandel58]

Just to clarify my perspective on Bob Schieffer, I always felt that he is just right of center. One thing I feel strongly about Bob (may I call you Bob?) is that Bob Schieffer is objective as one can get. And I rather have a beer with him then any other news person I see on the all the major news networks. with the exception of Tom Friedman, that guy is just pure genius. Having a beer with the 2 of them and my head would be spinning. And of course I don't think Tom has ever heard of Robert Earl Keen.

[skeezix06]

$200,000 a minute

$12,000,000 an hour

$288,000,000 every 24 hours

$8,640,000,000 over a 30 day period.

This is foolishness in action. Time to get out.

[samthetvcat]

"The latest example: A recently completed power plant shut down after unqualified workers put the wrong fuel in $90 million turbines and ruined them."

I used to 'spill' glue and paint on my brother's hand-me-downs so I could get the girl clothes I wanted . . . it must sound so wasteful, but I guess when you don't have independence over the state of your own affairs you sometimes make impractical decisions (?)

Difference was that I was a kid and it was only clothes, Iraqis are grown men and they seem to want self-determination (?) The Iraq Study Group recommended Bush reassure Iraqis that he was not interesting in their oil . . . instead he's insisting they pass oil distribution laws that give foreign companies the right to explore, distribute and refine the crude . . . maybe it was just incompetence but maybe it wasn't, but from all accounts the Iraqis seem to be pretty savvy - more savvy then Bush that's for sure . . .

[samthetvcat]

PS Also, the financial bleeding is what I call white-collar 'terrorism'. Like Bin Laden said his goal of striking the twin towers was not just symbolic but practical and that his goal was to cripple the economy. There were also those imams who were praying and praising Allah before their flight and then sued for millions when they not surprisingly got bumped off their flight. Although the primary Iraqi agenda is probably to get invading troops out of their country and the primary Imam's agenda might have been to increase awareness/tolerance for their culture (?), wouldn't other countries enjoy seeing the world's only superpower financially weakened?

Bush is like a gambling addict that keeps pouring $ into the slots because he think a big payout will happen eventually when it's the casinos that have all the control . . .

[gretagreen]

We all know Iraq is a tragic terrible mess. I want us to talk about solutions. I have three suggestions and I want someone to tell my why they aren't any good.
1. We bring in peacekeepers to try to gain some kind of order while our military starts to withdraw.
2. We engage, with every bit of energy and intelligence we have, in discussions with the Iraqi factions to understand what we can do to achieve peace. Assumably, we negotiate a split of power and resources among the factions; and
3. We help them split Iraq into three parts.

What do you think?

[skeezix06]

I think no one with any brains would consider sending peacekeepers at this point. Bush may not understand its a total disaster but you can bet everyone else on the planet does. Other than that, splitting Iraq into 3 parts and getting out before we lose any more people or money in what is clearly a civil war, with or without us, sounds fine to me.

[jmurrieta1]

"European Skylines Reflect Rise Of Islam"

Curious how CBS closed comments on this as soon as it was posted.

This is what will happen in the USA unless Muslim immigration is controlled. It's not the Mexicans that we need to worry about--it's the Muslims, immigrating with a plan to force their religion on us all. That is the teaching of their book. And that is why Iraq is a place one could never get used to.

[stl-mo-usa]

Mr. Schieffer,


The American people are going to "Shock" the establishment in Washington that has settled for this disgrace in Iraq ( along with all other nonsense that's been going). We have had enough & will "clean house".

Yes, folks "HOPE" is on the way & it'll be comming to OUR White House soon!!!!

[rushlimpdrug]

"European Skylines Reflect Rise Of Islam"
Curious how CBS closed comments on this as soon as it was posted.
This is what will happen in the USA unless Muslim immigration is controlled. . .. .
Posted by jmurrieta1

Doesn't surprise me, they do this constantly.
I never saw the story, sounds interesting.

[bennyblack1]

I would seem to me that another training issue has arisen. Or is it another example of Iraqi insurgency in the form of workers that vandalze and recklessly destroy equipment? I'm sure that they were properly trained, and were told how to operate the equipment, what and what not fuel to use, maintenance, and so on. The Iraqis have no idea the importance of maintaining their own stuff. They are like children given new toys. They play with the toys, then nonchalantly throw them away. When you tell them, "Don't..." they do, just to see what happens. They'll do the right thing as long they are being watched, but once you turn your back, they do exactly opposite of what they were instructed to do. Here's a resolution: have the Iraqi government pay Americans to run their power plants. It'll be expensive. I'm sure after a while, they'll want to ensure that their own are trained and qualified to run the equipment, and will put into place policies for dealing with people that destroy it. I don't know of any country that wants to live without power. For that reason alone, unity ought to be paramount.

[bennyblack1]

I still think we need to get out while we still have the ability to. You can't think of it as running. It's called responsibility. It's like, if I give all my money to someone who goes and blows it on the wrong things, and I can't pay my bills, then that person's disposition hasn't changed. But, because I gave that money away, and didn't pay my bills, I might be living in the street myself. That's not responsibility for myself. That's plain stupidity. If you and a buddy are hurt, and you both have a first aid bag, well, you don't use your bag to tend to his wounds. You use HIS. And if you are able, you use your own to attend to your own wounds. Once you have taken care of yourself, then you are able to help others. It's time we took care of ourselves.

[knyghtwolf]

Imagine yourself in the bushwacker's place, or imagine being in D I C K(less) Cheney's place when you are FINALLY gonna be taken out of the Whitehouse kicking & screaming because you are NOT dictator-for-life but more of a supreme cheese weenie destined to go down in history as the most dispicable, deplorable, dishonest, cowardly, buttz of every joke ever made or ever will be made in political history, hated, dispised, shoddy piece of human history, stupid, ignorant, lowlife, scum, carpet licking, dung muncher, vile vomit choking disease that ever LIVED in OUR history, not to mention WORLD history. Not me, because I guess I am too chicken to put my life in a grinder and care less what comes out. Remember Plan Nine from Outer Space, that is an epic movie compared to the bush administration.

[sandy19731]

Bob, you and your colleagues keep up the good work. The press was telling the truth in the 60's, just as you are telling the truth now. I just wish you had questioned and probed more in 2003 and before.
Posted by photogeezer at 12:32 PM : Jul 29, 2007

Ditto

[clestes-2009]

GretaGreen

All of your suggestions have merit, but also have problems.

#1, bring in what peace keepers?? You will have to be more explicit. The UN, other middle east countries. Depending on whom the peace keepers were, they could make Iraq better or worse.

#2 This has been long overdue. Without a thorough understanding of each faction's position and what they want, we cannot help them make political progress.

The assumption that the best solution would be to allow Iraq to dissolve into 3 separate factions may not be the best. Without an oil revenue sharing law, dissolving Iraq won't work.