The Iraq per capita income is about $2,700. The population of Iraq is about 23 million. Dividing $200 billion evenly, we can buy off every man, woman and child in the country with about $8,700 each, over three times the per capita income.

Let's just buy the damn place outright and be done with it.

Some other interesting facts from that link:

Population:
22,675,617 (2000)
18,781,770 (1990)
13,800,000 (1981)



Infant mortality rate:
62.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2000)
67 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
28 deaths/1,000 live births (1977)

Life expectancy at birth:
male 65.54 years; female 67.56 years (2000)
male 66 years; female 68 years (1990)
male 51.2; female 54.3 (1975)

Literacy:
58% (1995)
55-65% (1989)
30% (1978)

Economy:
GDP $59.9 billion (1999)
Per capita income $2,700 (1999)

GDP $35 billion (1989)
Per capita income $1,940 (1989)

GDP $19 billion (1977)
Per capita income $1,561 (1978)



The Gulf War was in 1991. The sanctions have supposedly destroyed the nation and killed hundreds of thousands of people. On the other hand, these statistics show little difference, and in some cases improvements, between Iraq's current situation and its situation just prior to the Gulf War. What gives?