NYT/AP: Democrats Wary of Iraq Reconstruction Cost; Biden: Results so far "aren't pretty"

[DeepModem Mom]

Dems Wary of Iraq Reconstruction Cost
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 25, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Emboldened by a successful first vote against President Bush's Iraq war policy, Senate Democrats said Thursday they were wary of the administration's anticipated $1.2 billion request for reconstruction there.

Sen. Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he wants assurances from the administration that the money would not fuel corruption or the insurgency in Iraq.

A key piece of Bush's new strategy is increasing reconstruction efforts, with the U.S. pledging another $1.2 billion and the Iraqi government designating $10 billion. As part of the plan, Bush is dispatching 21,500 additional troops to Iraq to bolster security so reconstruction efforts are not stalled.

''I hope we will hear today some concrete details on why these funds will achieve better results than we've been able to achieve before,'' Biden said.

The State Department has spent nearly $15 billion in reconstruction already and ''as you know better than I do, the results aren't pretty,'' the Delaware Democrat added....

***

Sen. Richard Lugar, the top Republican on the panel, said he wants regular progress reports that are much more detailed than previously provided to Congress. Lugar on Wednesday announced he had serious reservations that Bush's new Iraq plan would work....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-US-Iraq.html

[BOSSHOG]

1. Wow Lugar, weren't you chairman of this same committee

not too long ago? Now you're gonna huff and puff and blow the administration down. Atta boy!

[Parche]

2. our tax dollars

Screw them, make them use their oil revenues to pay for their 'reconstruction'
I am so tired of having my tax dollars used for Iraq
I want them to fund our people, our homeless, our jobless, our schools, Amtrak
our transportation, our infrastructure...or better yet, make Halliburton do it all
on their own dime without our tax dollars.

[superconnected]

3. make the bush family pay personally, and the haliburton ceo's

and the mercenary companies.

Why should US citizens pay. We didn't even elect the monkey.

[jwirr]

4. It would be a long shot but I think if we are able to get our troops out

of there the oil money should be given totally to the Iraqi contractors to rebuild their own country. It would mean that Iraqi people would have jobs and they would do the job to help themselves. Probably divide the money equally between the there tribes. NO MORE helliburtin type companies profiteering on this war.

[struggle4progress]

5. Maybe it's time to ask about the missin billions?