Cash woes slow efforts in Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/6665561.htm

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A shortage of money is hampering the U.S.-led effort to rebuild Iraq, and American taxpayers may end up footing a much larger bill than they expect, according to members of Congress and top U.S. officials in Baghdad.

As they plan for next year's budget, American officials in Iraq are worried they won't have enough money to restore enough basic services to get the country's economy growing again. That may be true even if Congress grants President Bush's request, expected in the next few weeks, for another $2 billion to $3 billion on top of the $3.5 billion U.S. taxpayers already are spending this year.

Those figures are only for reconstruction, and don't include the $1 billion a week Washington is spending on the military occupation.

Next year's reconstruction budget "has inadequate funds for security, electrical, water, sewage, irrigation, housing, education, health, agriculture," says an internal document of the Coalition Provision Authority in Baghdad, obtained by Knight Ridder.

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[Gin]

1. That was the plan all along. Bremer was setting us up for the additional

funding by making those remarks last week.

This group of thugs and looters is so obvious.

[RC]

2. How about an accounting of the money already spent in Iraq.

Then there would be enough to rebuild several times over.

[Democat]

3. Where will all this money go?

Directly to companies who will be donating to Bush during the 2004 election campain.

[Skittles]

4. YUP

I want some accountability, something that would be DEMANDED if it were Democrats running the show.

[metisnation]

5. who knows

maybe they are the sabatuers of infastructure in Iraq. Build it up and then blow it up...build it up then blow it up. Get the picture? Kinda of reminds me of the George Ryan Palumbo Scandal in IL a few years back. Palumbo a huge construction company that poured weak roads(they lied on the compressive strength tests of the concrete they were pouring) in Il so they would have to rebuild them in a shorter amount of time than they would normally last.

[pfitz59]

6. Mafia construction tactics.....

Yup....

[MuseRider]

7. Exactly!

We are funding this so we should know where it all goes. How can we allow these known looters to just use our money without any accountability?

[cliss]

8. It would be a good idea, except....

The US taxpayers will run out of money. We already have, technically. I read somewhere where they're not even sure if they have funds to keep going for a few more weeks in Iraq. We don't have the money to rebuild this country, even if the Iraqis are sitting on the world's #2 oil supply.

So if they plan to wipe us out on their sweetheart deals, they will in effect be signing their own bankruptcy papers 'cuz we can't afford it.

It's kind of like robbing Peter and robbing Paul.