April 20, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 13, 1429

WASHINGTON, April 19: A bipartisan group of US senators has called for Iraq to pay more for its own security and reconstruction, and for Washington to end what they said amounts to a “blank check policy” for Baghdad.

In a letter to US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates dated on Thursday, the senators said that Iraq enjoyed a projected budget surplus of $60 billion while the US grapples with mounting debt.

Citing US spending of $45 billion on Iraqi reconstruction projects over the past five years, the letter says the senators are planning legislation that will require many future such costs to be provided in the form of a loan, to be repaid to the United States in the future.

“The time has come to end this blank check policy and require the Iraqis to invest in their own future. We believe that it is time for Iraq to take greater responsibility for the costs of its reconstruction and stabilization,” said the letter, also sent to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“We are pleased that the (Bush) administration agrees and that certain steps are underway to require Iraq to pay some of the war and reconstruction costs.” The letter, which comes as Congress prepares to deal with President George W. Bush’s $108-billion budget for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was signed by Democratic Senators Ben Nelson and Evan Bayh and Republican Susan Collins, and later endorsed by several other senators from both parties.

In a statement they pointed to Iraq’s “windfall” in oil income as prices soar, which they put at some $56 billion.

“Simply put, we do not believe that it is appropriate for Iraq to reap a surplus at a time when the United States is struggling with high energy costs and bearing billions of dollars of costs in order to bring stability to Iraq.

“We must look for solutions to end Iraq’s cycle of dependence on American taxpayers,” Nelson said in an accompanying statement.

“Iraq must take more responsibility for its own future by shouldering more of the costs for reconstruction and security.” Bayh said that Baghdad “should be required to spend every penny of Iraqi oil profits before the American people are asked for another red cent to rebuild Iraq. We cannot continue to spend billions of our own money on reconstruction while the Iraqi government sits on surpluses.”—AFP