But congressional critics have challenged the notion of charging taxpayers to resettle former enemies, particularly at a time of national budget-cutting. Rep. Clifford B. Stearns (R-Fla.) accused the administration of a "bizarre set of priorities" for going to great length to accommodate combatants who participated in the "rape of Kuwait," while 8.9 million jobless Americans cannot afford the basic necessities of life.
"When we dropped those leaflets on the [Iraqi] Republican Guard, we did not include a plane ticket to Middle America and welfare entitlement benefits. When those guys realized the war was lost, they changed into civilian clothes and surrendered, and now we're rolling out the red carpet," Stearns added in a telephone interview from Ocala, Fla.