Ok, that was painful... I'm pretty sure that falls in line with NOT taking the Iraq oil money and giving it to the US. I'm not sure how you did it SF, but you just made my point. They are using THEIR money to assist in the rebuild. And BTW, that statement does not say anything about using Iraq's oil to fund the war....
Glad I could cause you some pain
Of course anyone will think anything they want, but my point is why are American tax payers funding this WAR at all now(If American troops are still in Iraq fighting it is more than just reconstruction). As Senator Nelson states in the article I posted, why isn't our tax dollars being used as a loan to Iraq. If that one simple concept was applied imagine how much relief that would be for American taxpayers. There are to many "special interests" for that to happen though.
Interesting article, hoping it will help make my point.
FOXNEWS.COM HOME > POLITICS
Iraq War Policy Debate Returns to Capitol Hill With Petraeus, Crocker Hearings
Monday, April 07, 2008
The Money Debate
With oil prices on the rise and a weakening American economy, Democrats, who have been holding strategy sessions for weeks, also want to force Iraqis to spend more of their own money — which mostly comes from oil sales — for reconstruction and military expenses.
"Do not forget this. ... Iraq is a rich country," Reid said last week in a speech on the chamber floor.
"Record-high oil prices have supplied Iraq with literally more money than they know what to do with, but we keep spending $5,000 a second in Iraq," he said. "As we borrow and spend billions of dollars to provide the security that the Iraqi government failed to create for themselves, Iraq is bringing in billions of oil money faster than they can open bank accounts."
In the same vein, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska has said Iraqis should no longer get "a blank check," and has proposed any future U.S. taxpayer dollars to Iraq be made in the form of a loan.
Privately, Hill staffers indicate that Nelson's loan plan could be an area for bipartisan compromise. One senior Senate Democratic leadership aide told FOX News the loan "idea is certainly being considered." And one senior Senate Republican leadership aide agreed that the idea is an attractive one, even though the Senate has rejected it before.
But the GOP aide said one resource that may be off limits is remaining reconstruction money, which is going to field commanders for needed economic development and other items.
"The funds are one of the most important counterinsurgency tools we have in Iraq. It's more powerful than rifles. They won't want to cut that, and there's very little other money they can cut. So it might backfire," the Republican aide said.
Levin agreed about the importance of this kind of money — housed in the Commander's Emergency Response Program — which military leaders use to win "hearts and minds" of local leaders. Still, Petraeus might be reconsidering the effectiveness of those funds, Levin said Friday.
"I think General Petraeus is looking for ways to have the Iraqis use more of their money."
