Bush Will Seek $87 Billion for Iraq

Reuters via Washington Post ^ | 9-7-03

[dogbyte12]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush will announce on Sunday night that he plans to ask Congress for $87 billion to fund the U.S. military deployment in Iraq and pay for reconstruction, a Republican source said.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the money would fund U.S. military operations in Iraq and reconstruction over the coming budget year.

The figure includes assistance for Afghanistan. Bush was to make the request in an 8:30 p.m. EDT address to the nation, the source said.

The figure was at the high end of expectations. Some members of Congress said earlier they expected Bush to get what he asked for but wanted him to detail how long U.S. troops would remain in Iraq and outline a strategy for bringing them home. (snip)

[Old Fud]

Does this man have any concept of money whatsoever?

No. Ain't never had to balance his own checkbook. Why should it be a surprise that he spends our money like a drunken sailor?

[VetsRule]

The Taliban were not sane. Neither was Saddam.

No argument on the Taliban. But Saddam is as sane as it gets, compared to Kim Jong Il, the Iranian theocrats and arguably even the Saudi Arabian Islamists. I'd rather deal with the real threats, while the fake threats are sidelined until after we finish dealing with the real ones.

VR

[VetsRule]

Strange, I wasn't aware of any reliable polls happening in Iraq. I'm sure they all tell the truth, too, whenever they're interviewed by Western soldiers and journalists...I mean, it's not like they're used to being abused and intimidated by authority, or anything.

What I am aware of is our heroic men and women in uniform being targeted daily by Sunnis pissed off about losing power, and by Shi'ite religious fanatics potentially soon.

VR

[VetsRule]

My opinion? Saddam probably had some old, old WMD which were mostly degraded or destroyed by 2003. He had no significant delivery systems, certainly none to threaten the U.S. And if the concern is smuggling those old, old WMD to terrorists to use against us, Syria, North Korea and Pakistan already have access to much, much worse.

VR

[VetsRule]

Look, I honestly hope that you're right, I earnestly hope that the Iraqis will love us and welcome us with open arms and that our efforts there will lead to a glorious, secular Arab renaissance embracing democracy and equality.

I hope I win the lottery Wednesday, too.

VR

[cookcounty]

seamole: "You are not analyzing the situation clearly. A nuclear terrorist threat is the product of more than the amount of nuclear weapons held."

vetsrule: "Oh please, enlighten me. Is it the nuclear part, or the terrorist part? Oh yeah, I forgot, Iraq is down at #4 or #5 on EACH of those lists.

But Seamole is making an excellent point.

Compare Saddam to Kim Jong Il, for example

Saddam invaded his neighbor to the east, result: 1 million dead.
Kim JI never invaded anyone, result: zero dead.

Saddam invaded his neighbor to the south, result, 500,000 dead.
Kim JI never invaded anyone, result: zero dead.

Saddam fired 100 missiles into his neighbor to the west.
Kim JI fired (1) missile over Japan.

Saddam used WMD on other countries
Kim JI never did.

Saddam used WMD on his own people, numerous times.
As far as we know, Kim JI did not.

The point seamole is making is that the proven reckless instability of Saddam's character made him particularly dangerous.

Let us pray that Kim turns out to be merely a daddy's boy who has trouble connecting with reality.

[Old Fud]

Nice. Really classy.

Would "like a thoughtful, conservative statesman would" be satisfactory? Jr. throws tax $ around like it's his. Like a librul. This is indicative of man who has never had to consider where his mortgage, groceries, and fun money comes from.

Just keep doling out compassion, Jr.

[cookcounty]

" and the brave firemen and police we lost in the WTC have not been replaced - there is not enough money. Only about three cities in the entire US are equipped with proper hazmat equipment."

It's too bad that the people of New York City refuse to hire firemen, especially when they're saving on not paying all those seniority-heavy paychecks since 9-11. Is it Bush's fault if these cities prefer stadiums, parades and festivals to emergency equipment?

[hove]

Bush may have just handed the Whitehouse to the Dems in '04' tonight. Poor clueless soul. He has outspent any previous President....and the government is growing out of control on his watch. And you people consider Bush a Conservative? What a freaking joke!