Bangor Daily Editorial: Baghdad's Bill

From today's BDN editorial:

Despite tough questions and grim assessments, it remains unclear if Congress can muster support for a change in direction for continued U.S. involvement in Iraq. Requiring Iraq to pay for more of this work ends the era of blank U.S. checks and puts needed pressure on Baghdad to play a larger role in securing and building the country’s future.
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"Isn’t it time for the Iraqis to start bearing more of those expenses, particularly in light of the windfall in revenues due to the high price of oil?" Sen. Susan Collins asked Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq during Tuesday’s Armed Services Committee hearing.

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In 2003, Sen. Collins was among a group of senators advocating that the Iraqis repay some of the U.S. money spent on reconstruction and other aid. Despite assurances from Vice President Cheney that the Iraq war could be paid for with the country’s oil revenues, President Bush strongly opposed such a measure.

With the U.S. economy faltering, the Iraqis slow to accept more responsibility and additional oil revenue flowing to the Iraqi government, it is past time to ask Baghdad to shoulder more of the financial burden.

Bangor Daily News