Bush to Ask Congress for Extra $50 Bln for Iraq: Report
WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush plans to ask Congress for an extra 50 billion dollars for Iraq following a highly anticipated report on progress in the war-torn country next month, US media reported Wednesday.
The request would seek to pay for the current troop “surge” strategy and is a sign that Bush anticipates prevailing in a showdown with the Democratic-controlled Congress which has been pushing for troop withdrawal, the Washington Post said. 
If approved, the bid would bring US spending on the Iraq war to more than three billion dollars per week.
The formal request is to be delivered following Army General David Petraeus’ and Ambassador Ryan Crocker’s report to Congress on September 15 about military and political developments in Iraq particularly since the new strategy took effect.
The request “is being prepared now in the belief that Congress will be unlikely to balk so soon after hearing the two officials argue that there are promising developments in Iraq but that they need more time to solidify the progress they have made,” the newspaper said, citing an unnamed congressional aide.
In a speeches to military veterans this week, Bush has touted signs of progress in Iraq and the need for a sustained military offensive like the one announced earlier this year which sent 30,000 extra troops to Iraq, bringing the total number of troops to around 160,000.
“There are unmistakable signs that our strategy is achieving the objectives we set out,” Bush said on Tuesday. “The momentum is now on our side.”
The 50 billion dollars would be in addition to the 460 billion dollars in the fiscal 2008 defense budget and 147 billion dollars in a pending supplemental bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We haven’t seen the details, but we’ll give it the scrutiny it deserves,” said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Copyright © AFP 2007
“A truth, too, not to be lost sight of is, that no country can pay war taxes if you suppress all their resources. To keep the war popular, we must keep open the markets. As long as good prices can be had, the people will support the war cheerfully.” –Thomas Jefferson to James Ronaldson, 1813.
Call, write, and/or e-mail your member of congress and senator today. Tell them not to spend an additional dollar on extending this insanity. Do it! Do it now! Don’t delay, and don’t read any more posts on this site until you’ve made this commitment to yourself, and to your country.
Peace
I guess Cheneys bonus check wasn’t big enough last quarter.
To Jefferson’s Guardian:
Write, call, stamp your feet. The Demochickens will bray loudly for about 15 minutes. They will then say…umm ok.
And we can’t afford to give kids medical care.
To limric…
To fret, cry, and throw temper tantrums is fine, and good — unless your actions stop there. If it doesn’t INCLUDE inundating our congressional representatives, ours is certainly a lost cause. I, for one, still believe the original framework of our government, as established and founded, is still the best alternative. Certainly there are many reforms that need to be made, but I view any change that’s going to be to the benefit of “We the People”, as one that’s going to evolve through a renaissance of historic proportions. I believe revolutionary change, anarchy if you will, will surely destroy what semblance of civilization we still retain.
That’s why I continually, through may posts on this site and others, call for the traditional leverage methods of contacting the elected representatives we have. Granted, at best, it seems they’re slow to act, and worse, they ignore you. But, the fact remains, if EVERY person that’s frustrated and discouraged, by the current state of affairs, were to write two to three letters or e-mails a week, the groundswell would be enormous. Before too long the political tipping points would be in our favor, and they (our “representatives”) know that.
Believe me, the desire to keep their jobs is greater than their desire to misalign with you — their electorate. If the overriding cascade of public opinion were to be greater, and I mean greater than the seduction of the corporate lobbyists most of them are beholden to, they’d change their voting axis quickly. Unfortunately, they know the American people are sheepish, and won’t go beyond the typical bitching-and-moaning, usually found on sites like this.
I reiterate, blowing-off steam is good for the heart and soul. Limiting your sound judgment, and the fact that you KNOW what’s going on, to ONLY this, puts us at a great disadvantage in fighting this cancer that has overridden our government and society.
Call, or write, today.
Peace
I’d find this report truly ludicrous, save one salient fact, there are plenty of Democrats in congress willing to give him the money.
How much for the Christian right war contractors?
Bastards - not ANOTHER DIME!
Congress has been notified — not one more penny, unless specifically targeted for redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq. Period. Only then can the Iraqi people begin to try to put their lives and their country back together.
Just this past week we’ve been hearing new reports by military and political officials that the surge is working, blah, blah, blah. Notice how one week later Bush requests more billions — because it’s working and if we leave now — blah, blah, blah. Sound familiar? Has Congress not yet recognized this tactic?? I don’t want to hear one more Democratic member of Congress say they will now not support a withdrawal and will send more billions — because the surge is working!!! PERIOD!!
After two trillion and counting, another fifty billion or so is just pocket change. Let em have it congress, may as well, as long as you aren’t going to make Bush and company pull out of that disasterious mess, or do your sworn duty and impeach that crooked moron. The Iraqis can use some more hundred dollar bills, they’ve got a good share of the loot already.
Enough is Enough!
I am calling both of my Senators & my Representative NOW.
If the politicians cave in on this one then, my fellow patriots, it is time to take up arms!
I wonder if the former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, may be the one who leaked to the press, that the statement General Petraues’ will give to congress regarding ‘the surge’, was written by White House speech writers?
I can imagine that paper of lies, could have been the final straw for Tony Snow and was the deciding factor for his recent resignation. He only held th epost for a few short months. After awhile, decent people get tired of publically repeating lies daily, to protect a confirmed idiot and theiving traitor.
Endless war equals endless montrous profits for all the major corporate monsters.
It’s all going exactly the masters of profits and deception want it to go, as they speed our f’d up nation towards the abyss.
KEM PATRICK
i’ve posted a reply to your ‘you hurt me’ on the gun issue. please check it out.
words fail me on this issue.
but check out nationalpriorities.org - says it all!!!!
I wonder how that anti-smoking campaign is going in Baghdad?
What they are inhaling in Baghdad is DU dust.
Gotcha Coco, thank you, I replied there.___ I think we all need a hug.
Oh boy–Congress wont stand for this!
They will tell Bush to shove it…
They will show him they mean business.
Yeah right–and tens of thousands of democrats in Florida didnt cost Gore the election by voting for Bush.
Bush does not have the strength of character to admit that the Iraq war is a blunder of monumental porportions. The draft-dodging coward would rather murder and maim thousands more people than admit he made a mistake. Give him a one-way ticket to The Hague.
“US President George W. Bush plans to ask Congress for an extra 50 billion dollars for Iraq following a highly anticipated report on progress in the war-torn country…”
Not a year has gone by since its inception that Bush hasn’t asked for additional $$billions to cover the costs for this invasion. It’s just another day and another excuse to keep it going.
Gimee gimee gimee. Bush and the greedy Republican scum always have their hands out, wanting our tax money for war profits for themselves. What a completely amoral bunch, and the Congressional Democrats aren’t any better as they give them whatever they want.
Anyone wanna bet? The Dems are going to give the money to Bush. No, not because they are wimps or spineless. No, no, that’s what their role is in our make believe democracy.
Dems - Bush enabler
We can figure this money for the start of the Iran war. If Congress acts surprised when the money is diverted they should be removed for stupidity.
Is this not one more indication that the “progress” report, due next month, has already been written by the White House and not by the “commanders on the ground”, to which Bush claims all deference? Now, Bush is rattling his sabre at Iran. Ari Fleischer and his band of merry men(aka fatcat Bush supporters and war profiteers) are spending millions of dollars to perpetuate the myth that Iraq was behind the 9/11 attacks. Karl Rove has been let loose upon the complicit media to launch a campaign against the Democratic presidential contenders.
The “icing on the cake” is that the long rumored secret of Senator Craig’s hypocrisy has “anonymously” been revealed, moving his story to the forefront and knocking all of the aforementioned from the front page. How convenient that a “morality” scandal always erupts when Bush is trying to sell us another sack of shit.
Wake up, America! Our country’s future is in the hands of congress. If we’ve learned anything since November, 2006, it is that congress is content to let the madness continue. The Democrats will bitch and moan, assure themselves of populace pleasing soundbites and photo-ops and then procede to give the Liar-In-Chief every dime he’s asking for. The Republicans will cling to “family values” and “winning is everything.” America loses. The beat goes on.
Bush will get the 50 bill and then some, as most americans believe that his surge plan is just beggining to show signs of sucess.
Yes, write Congress and tell them to do the right thing, deny this request. And then write them and tell them to do the right thing about all of these issues too:
environment
economy
civil liberties
education
welfare
taxes
and so forth and so on until we throw out the bums-about 94%, who are not doing the right thing.
Meanwhile look at the word ‘petition’ in this phrase.
Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I assume a ‘petition’ would have to be presented outside of the normal channels of Congress-perhaps a mass meeting on the front steps?
The simple solution:
1) go to the local hardware store, buy about four yards of rope and use it to hang all the political and coporate scumbags that are perpetrating this lost cause war.
2) Force the entire population to come out and vote.
If the citizens of America were allowed access to these 50 billion war bonds they might all enjoy state run medicine, post secondary education, a stable infrastructure…a future for everyone!
About 40% of US Military operations are carried on under a “BLACK budget” and 100% of the CIA’s budget is “BLACK”.
This means that their spending and operations are totally secret and only a handful of the 535 members of Congress have any idea how the Billions of Dollars are spent.
Until this insanity is stopped nothing will change.
I highly recommend the trilogy of books by Chalmers Johnson: BLOWBACK, SORROWS OF EMPIRE and NEMESIS which explain where all that money is spent, how the U.S. is destroying democracy and now its own economy and credibility by military and political insanities and international meddling.
War Pigs, ,,,I am Iron Man, keep your children well, sound familier, War??? what is it good for??? absolutly nothing 50 Bilion for everystat higher ed
Fifty billion? That’s 25 billion for the war effort and 25 billion in somebody’s deep pocket. I think that is what is meant by the ‘trickle down.’ Why would it take fifty billion to bring the troops home, all of them? The rest of the money left over after bringing the military home could be given to Iraq for food, shelter, clean water, hospitals, schools and all of the things we have already spent billions on that never materialized. We want earmarks from Iraq, how about Iraq wanting a few ‘earmarks’ from us?
How much is $50 billion? It boggles the mind.
To count to one thousand, counting one number every second continuously, it would take 17 minutes. Counting to one million at the same rate, it would take 12 days (counting nonstop, day and night). But counting to one billion would take 32 years!
That’s right; years.
Imagine counting $1 billion with $1,000 dollar bills (hypothetically). Using the above calculations, at the rate of $1,000 per second, you’d be counting your cash for 12 days!
Now multiply those figures by 50. There you have it.
On the other hand, just look at all we’re GETTING for our grandchildren’s money…..peace, stability, security and a thriving economy. I’m sure they’re going to thank us!
Give him money for an immediate airlift to bring all our troops home. Get the hell out of Iraq, you criminal invader. And let that obscene embassy crumble into dust, Ozymandias. But then, little George doesn’t read above the level of “My Pet Goat”, or maybe he was just looking at the pictures. He would have no idea who Percy Bysshe Shelley was. And I even doubt if “Stepford” Laura does either.