Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Detroit News
April 30, 2008 Pentagon to scale back call for $610M in reconstruction plan blasted by Sen. Levin.
By Gordon Trowbridge, Detroit News Washington Bureau
The Pentagon will rescind part of a $610 million request for Iraq reconstruction spending that Sen. Carl Levin had described as "unacceptable," Levin's office announced Tuesday.
In a letter to Levin, D-Detroit, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the department would withdraw a request to spend $171 million on construction of Iraqi police stations. Gates said he would ask the Iraqi government to pay for the police stations.
Levin and other Democrats had criticized the spending proposal, arguing that with oil revenues at record highs, Iraq could afford such projects. In an April 10 hearing, Levin asked Gates to reconsider the Pentagon funding request, which shifted money from a fund for training Iraqi police and soldiers to construction projects.
"Mr. Chairman, I heard the committee loud and clear on the need for Iraq to pay for economic reconstruction and civilian infrastructure," Gates wrote to Levin.
But Gates said he would seek the remaining $439 million from the original funding-shift request, saying the remaining projects "present a critical opportunity to take advantage of the improved security environment" in Iraq.
"I am pleased that Secretary Gates has personally reviewed this reallocation and decided to reduce the funding," Levin said in a written response. "However, U.S. taxpayers continue to spend far too much on Iraqi reconstruction, particularly given the huge sums sitting in Iraqi government bank accounts."
April 30, 2008 Pentagon to scale back call for $610M in reconstruction plan blasted by Sen. Levin.
By Gordon Trowbridge, Detroit News Washington Bureau
The Pentagon will rescind part of a $610 million request for Iraq reconstruction spending that Sen. Carl Levin had described as "unacceptable," Levin's office announced Tuesday.
In a letter to Levin, D-Detroit, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the department would withdraw a request to spend $171 million on construction of Iraqi police stations. Gates said he would ask the Iraqi government to pay for the police stations.
Levin and other Democrats had criticized the spending proposal, arguing that with oil revenues at record highs, Iraq could afford such projects. In an April 10 hearing, Levin asked Gates to reconsider the Pentagon funding request, which shifted money from a fund for training Iraqi police and soldiers to construction projects.
"Mr. Chairman, I heard the committee loud and clear on the need for Iraq to pay for economic reconstruction and civilian infrastructure," Gates wrote to Levin.
But Gates said he would seek the remaining $439 million from the original funding-shift request, saying the remaining projects "present a critical opportunity to take advantage of the improved security environment" in Iraq.
"I am pleased that Secretary Gates has personally reviewed this reallocation and decided to reduce the funding," Levin said in a written response. "However, U.S. taxpayers continue to spend far too much on Iraqi reconstruction, particularly given the huge sums sitting in Iraqi government bank accounts."