BAGHDAD’S BURDEN

Members of Congress and the Bush administration have long talked about the Iraqi government taking more responsibility for the security, economy and governing of their country. “As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down,” President Bush said in June 2005. To date, not enough Iraqis have stood up, leaving Americans, especially our soldiers, to fill the gap.

A group of senators, including Susan Collins, have renewed their efforts to take on this shortcoming from a financial perspective. They have introduced legislation requiring the Iraqi government to use a portion of its oil revenue to cover reconstruction and stabilization costs.

The senators first advocated that the Iraqis repay some of the U.S. money spent on reconstruction and other aid in 2003. Despite assurances from Vice President Dick Cheney that the Iraq war could be paid for with the country’s oil revenues, President Bush strongly opposed such a measure. Now, the administration says it is already moving in this direction.

The U.S. spends about $12 billion a month in Iraq, mostly to maintain our military presence. With a large budget deficit, a weakening economy and an overstretched military, this is a financial commitment that cannot be maintained.

Further, having the Iraqis pay more for rebuilding and security will give them a larger stake in the success of this work. If Iraqi funds were being used for infrastructure, Sen. Collins says, Iraqis would be less likely to destroy it.

Most galling to Sen. Collins is that the U.S. is paying $153 million a month for fuel in Iraq, a country with the second largest oil reserves in the world. At a minimum, fuel should be provided free of charge, she said.

Better would be for the Iraqis to begin paying for the training and equipping of their own troops. By paying the salary of the country’s security forces, the Iraqis would be more invested in the success of those forces and their efforts to combat insurgents. This would increase pressure on the Iraqi forces to take more responsibility for securing the country and protecting its citizens, allowing American forces to be redeployed to noncombat operations.

With oil production in Iraq now above pre-war levels and oil prices at record high levels, leaving Iraq with a budget surplus of at least $56 billion and $30 billion in foreign banks, it simply makes sense for Baghdad to bear a larger share of the cost of rebuilding and securing the country.

This legislation is a needed step to hasten Iraq’s standing up so that the U.S. can finally begin to stand down.