If the United States was smart they would push for getting oil options at a fixed price from Iraq. They could buy into a % of the oil production over the next 20 or so years at a very discounted price. With something like that it could allow Iraq to pay off some of the money we put in to their country but still allow them to rebuild their economy. Sadly Iraq has little or no obligation to repay the U,S for anything. At the end of the day the American tax payer will be footing the bill as usual.