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by PegasusWing from Port Saint John

Last Post 70 days, 17 hours Ago


Finally Iraq can pay its own reconstruction
May 1, 2008 | 12:31 PM
Category: Political
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WASHINGTON - A Senate panel has agreed to block U.S. funding for Iraq reconstruction projects worth more than $2 million and to try to force Baghdad to cover the costs of training and equipping the country's security forces.

The provision, included in a 2009 defense policy bill approved this week by the Senate Armed Services Committee, comes as Democrats draft a similar provision within separate legislation that would cover this year's war spending.

The efforts are part of the latest push on Capitol Hill to get Iraq to spend more of its own money and spare U.S. taxpayers. Democrats and many Republicans say it is unfair that Iraq is looking at pulling in as much as $70 billion in oil revenues this year while Americans grapple with soaring fuel prices at the pump.

The defense policy bill, which has not been approved by the full Senate, would not cut off smaller rebuilding projects. It specifically supports a program that allows military commanders to spend money on emergency relief projects, as well as an effort that dispatches civilian reconstruction teams to work with local provincial officials.

The bill would require the administration to work with Baghdad to obligate its own money for smaller reconstruction projects before U.S. money is used.

It also says the U.S. must initiate negotiations with Iraq on a broader agreement to share the costs of combat operations in Iraq.

The provision was proposed by Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Evan Bayh of Indiana and Republican Susan Collins of Maine. The three met with Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, the president's chief war adviser on Iraq and Afghanistan at the National Security Council, on Monday to discuss the provision.

At the time, the White House was open to the legislative proposal so long as it didn't go too far by severely restricting U.S. aid. Administration officials are concerned that refusing to pay for certain programs, such as training and equipping Iraqi security forces, could slow down the war effort and delay the transfer of the combat mission to the Iraqis.

Still, the administration has declared an end to the era of major reconstruction projects in Iraq and says Baghdad is already taking over those costs.

Collins said much of the discussion on Monday centered on what would qualify as a "major" reconstruction project.

The legislation proposed by the Armed Services Committee would not flatly prohibit aid to the Iraqi security forces. Instead, the bill says the U.S. "shall take actions to ensure that Iraqi funds are used" to cover the costs, including the salaries of the forces and any payments to Sunnis who are part of the Awakening Movement

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PegasusWing read my blog view my photos
May 1, 2008 | 12:36 PM

This is but a drop in the bucket, but a start, nonetheless!
Iraq should pay for its own defense.
Instead they gouge us for oil, then make us pay for their defense.
Having them pay 2 million for reconstruction when they get $70 billion for oil is insanity.
My son is with the Army Corps of Engineers and they build roads, schools, hospitals, and get bombed and killed for their efforts.
This whole farce is insane.
I have had enough.
I'd rather our troops be here and secure our own boarders from invading hoards of squatters.
Specter read my blog
May 1, 2008 | 3:26 PM

Where in the hell do you get your info moron, they've already committed to over 200 billion in reconstruction costs.

Anyone who wants all dems--kind of one sided don't you think, is a lemming and nothing more.

No worries, your not the first to be stuck on stupid.
Hawkeye read my blog
May 1, 2008 | 3:53 PM

HOW does Iraq gouge US for THEIR OIL???

It's THEIR Oil..

Geeez..SOMETIMES these Media Matters and Moveon.org types just give ME a Migrain..
RNC08 read my blog view my photos
May 2, 2008 | 1:50 AM

OK so now when are we going to address the much larger issue of asking New Orleans to start paying some of its own bills ! So far we have spent 300 billion dollars in direct aid to rebuild NO and are still making large ear marks available to them every year in addition to the largest per capita welfare tab in the nation but you would rather piss and moan about 2 million dollars for Iraq...that is less than we will spend in the next 8 months for secret service agents for Obama and Clinton while they fight for the nomination !
PegasusWing read my blog view my photos
May 3, 2008 | 8:32 AM

New Orleans asked for what amounts to 1/2 million per person! Disasters happen. Insurance pays. Those without insurance are not suppose to be paid. OK, so a little charity wouldn't hurt, but nobody can satisfy someone else's greed!
I didn't build my house on the beach.
If global warming happens, I am sunk anyway.
But I would not build my house below sea level and expect anyone other than God could protect it.
And only if She wanted to, but how could I be sure?
OK, the Iraqi gouge us for protection. In the Trillions of Dollars!
We don't owe them. They owe us and not just their hearts and mind, COLD HARD CASH
RNC08 read my blog view my photos
May 4, 2008 | 7:06 AM

You keep saying that as if the company's that we are paying this money to are Iraq owned, I just want to now when you/everyone who is for turning our back on the invasion of Iraq by Iran (that is what is really going on) is going to replace all the billions (not trillions ) that we are spending in this country's economy right now ? ...RE : how can the liberal view have it both ways 1 our economy is barely holding its own and at the same time 2 we can afford to CUT 100 billion dollars out of it right now ???????
Is it the “plan” of Obama/Clinton (liberals) to end the WOT and replace it with ...what? A war on “global warming” a war on “health care” a war on “racial intolerance” ? We know that you are promising to take more money out of the economy (taxes taxes every where) but where and how are you planing on spending it that will “help” and not hurt the people of this nation ?

And YES we did spend MORE in 07 on direct cash benefits to New Orleans than we did on Iraq ...when will someone suggest that we “Get Out Of New Orleans” !
PegasusWing read my blog view my photos
May 5, 2008 | 12:08 PM

Decades back, I still don't get what is happening in the Mid East. It has never made sense to me, except that the Arabs have been a PIA since the Barbary Pirates.
They hate us because we take the side of Israel. We were just giving planes to Israel and letting them bomb the craziest of the lot. That worked, except that it got them really mad!
I would say Muslims hate Jews, but they hate everyone.
As an amateur, Hawkeye and Abunai have tried to set me straight on this issue and it still doesn't make sense to me.
To me, they have oil, they have American dollars, they could pay for their own defense.
I would rather just send in missiles if Iran gets nuclear weapons and take out the whole mess.
I have a son in the military and do not want to send him! Missiles, ok.
If we have to take out nuclear weapons with missiles, it will be on them. They were told not to make them. They think they are being cagey.
There is no way to wipe out terrorist. You would think that with all their money, they would do something for their own people like raise the standard of living for everyone. No they are too full of hate.

When my son was there, kids on the street told him that the Americans were going about it wrong, they should capture the enemy, hang him in public, torture and kill him and his whole family, then others would be too scared to be our enemies.
He explained that we just don't do things like that. They do.
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PegasusWing

I am a portrait artist, kitchen designer, former teacher, and MOM of two incredible young adults. I feel that oil companies are destroying the country. I would like to see congress pass much higher milage requirements for all vehicles of locomotion. I would like to see the rail systems improve and ultimately reduce the 18 wheelers on the road. We need more alternative energy, and not ethanol; solar, wind, water. I would like to see illegal invaders go home. I would like to see all our men and women in the military come home. There is no reason Iraqi should not pay for their own defense. I would like to see it cost businesses to "outsource". I'd like to eliminate Capital Hill's Golden Fleece Pension and see all of the men and women on Capital Hill receive the same social security and health insurance that we get, then, just maybe they would get serious about saving it.

Member Since: 1/29/2008


 

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