Bush plea for cash to rebuild Iraq raises $600

An extraordinary appeal to Americans from the Bush administration for money to help pay for the reconstruction of Iraq has raised only $600 (£337), The Observer has learnt. Yet since the appeal was launched earlier this month, donations to rebuild New Orleans have attracted hundreds of millions of dollars.

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It is understood to be the first time that a US government has made an appeal to taxpayers for foreign aid money. Contributors have no way of knowing who will receive their donations or even where they may go, after officials said details had be kept secret for security reasons.

USaid's Heather Layman denied it was disappointed with the meagre sum raised after a fortnight. 'Every little helps,' she said.

Mark Townsend, The Observer, September 25, 2005

Well, this sure is some incredible news. So, not only do we now find ourselves in a situation where the government does not feel obligated to fullfill its own missions - it feels fine just asking us for money and not telling us where that money would be going.

And while I am sure many Americans, yours truly included, would be quite willing to help innocent Iraqi civilians who have been suffering so much for so long - would you be eager to contribute your hard earned money to one of the many corporate players now in the Iraq reconstruction game?

tags: funds  iraq  reconstruction