Talking about biased sources (and no, i don't play the troll neither want a flame...):

Gulf war (1991) cost : $40 billion
We could reasonably assume that the $40 billion was paid by the USA, that's partly true.
But in truth :
25% from USA ($10 billion)
75% from Arabic states, mainly Saudi Arabia and Kuwait ($30 billion)

Ok, but where did all this money come from?
Before the war, the price of oil was $15 per barrel... but after the Gulf war it rose to $42 per barrel, yielding a windfall profit of approximately $60 billion.
Who got this windfall profit?
In arabic countries, they use the 50/50 rule: 50% to the local government and 50% to the oil company managing the project. So,
Windfall profit : $60 billion
$30 billion to oil companies
$30 billion to arabic states


But who owns the oil companies?
In Middle East, the oil business is completly controlled by the "7 sisters" (Shell, Tamoil, Esso...), all from USA and 5 of them are controlled by the US government.
So :
$30 billion
$21 billion to US government
$9 billion to US private companies

Let's count the cost :

war cost profits benefits
Arabic $30 billion $30 billion 0
countries

US states $10 billion $21 billion +$11 billion

US privates 0 $9 billion +$9 billion

IOW, the USA made $20 billion from the gulf war. Nothing to do with the liberation of Kumait, just made money.


At the end, who paid for the Gulf war?
People who use oil... We did!
so, because of the increase in the oil price due to the Gulf war, the USA got :
$11 billion directly
$49 billion indirectly

Who got the $40 billion that the war cost?
War companies and industries, almost all belong to USA.

Now, it's easy to understand two recent events :
the new war in Iraq and the real cause of Afghanistan war...

To understand why Bush Jr. wants to attack Iraq once more, you have to know that USA are in bankrupt with their main oil provider in middle east : Saudi arabia (no way back George, because Saudi arabia is one of the countries mostly engaged in bin laden terrorism, but also because international public point of view of the non respect of elementary human rights).
For the Bush administration there is a priority goal:search for an oil alternative in the middle east.
Obviously, the best way is to make war on Iraq and install a puppet government under USA control.
Question is : why Iraq? 4 simple reasons:
-saddam
-this is a country which can't defend itself (well, at least we guessed)
-Iraq offers an easy pretext to justify an attack to the ordinary people of the world, who don't know anything about the real causes of the war (what makes the canon burger meat walk?)
-Iraq doesn't have any protection from a powerful country.

Last thought about this to go a little further...
3 months ago or more, the social revolution in Venezuela started, because of the awful way of life, due to american oil corporations. Venezuela is the first oil provider of USA. Find an alternative to Saudi arabia and Venezuela is then a priority for Bush administration.

Let's talk about Afghanistan...
Ok, the 9-11 was a really good reason, but, Bush administration was, before, searching an alternative for their oil pipeline problem... so, behind terrorism causes, the Afghanistan war had the goal of installing a puppet government, and allowing the construction of a 2500km long pipeline instead of the original project of a 5500km one, much more expensive to build and maintain because of the taxes due to countries through which it would pass... bin laden's terrorist just made it "easier".

All this comes from known sources as : US TV/newspapers sites, governemental sites etc... but, put them all together and you'll get something different than the actual US TV brainwash.

hm...

Fred