Funds for Iraq run low

[AlCzervik]

some snips

By Peter Grier, Staff writer of The Christian Science MonitorThu Jun 15, 4:00 AM ET
Time and money are running out on the US-directed reconstruction effort in Iraq.

The main conduit for American rebuilding aid – the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF) – is scheduled to close at the end of this year.

Almost all the cash Congress has allocated for the fund, some $20 billion in all, has been spent, or will be, in coming months.


Between 16 and 22 percent of reconstruction dollars pay for armed guards and other costs related to security, James Kunder, an assistant administrator of the US Agency for International Development, told the House International Relations Committee at a hearing last week.

US budget plans don't call for big additions to the money already spent. For fiscal 2007, the US requested $770 million in reconstruction funds – and a House committee has trimmed that by $200 million pending final passage. US officials are pressing other nations to pay up pledges of aid they've already made. But a reasonable estimate of the money still needed is $18 billion to $28 billion, according to Mr. Kosiak, and total foreign aid pledges are only $13 billion.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20060615/ts_csm/areconstruct&printer=1;_ylt=AhiDRFyEes8.vDWVw_kiE8COe8UF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-

[cliss]

1. Notice, we're spending about $8 billion

per month on the war 'effort', but the reconstruction gets crumbs.

Typical. I couldn't help but notice Bush talking about getting other countries "to help out by giving money" to Iraq. I can't imagine he's going to get many takers.

Why should he? After we went in, against the wishes of the entire world, destroyed a country,and now he wants THEM to help with the clean-up? FAT CHANCE, Fool.