A must-read article by Terry Jones (of Python fame). Yes, they have “made a killing.”

Early this year the Bush administration is to ask Congress to approve an additional $100bn for the onerous task of making life intolerable for the Iraqis. This will bring the total spent on the White House’s current obsession with war to almost $500bn – enough to have given every US citizen $1,600 each. I wonder which the voters would have gone for if given the choice: shall we (a) give every American $1,600 or (b) spend the money on bombing a country in the Middle East that doesn’t use lavatory paper?

Of course, there’s another thing that George Bush could have done with the money: he could have given every Iraqi $18,700. I imagine that would have reduced the threat of international terrorism somewhat. Call me old-fashioned, but I can’t help thinking that giving someone $18,700 brings them round to your side more quickly than bombing the hell out of them. They could certainly buy a lot of lavatory paper with it.

Who are the winners? The ones who walk away with our money.

• No competitive bidding for contracts in Iraq
• Rampant overcharging
• Payment for unfinished jobs
• Accounting oversight stripped from the Iraq spending bill.
• No provision to penalize war profiteers who defraud US taxpayers
• Executive protections and interventions for war profiteers