James M. Fly and John Noonan: Iraq's Post-War Stability Is Crucial
[James M. Fly, executive director of the Foreign Policy Initiative, served in national security positions in the Bush administration. John Noonan is a policy adviser at the Foreign Policy Initiative.]
Heading out on the election trail, the Senate left behind a critical piece of business that could affect national security and U.S. interests in the Middle East for decades to come.
In August, the last U.S. combat forces left Iraq, leaving behind a liberated nation. A few months before the final elements of the U.S. Army’s 4th Stryker Brigade were crossing the Kuwait border, the Senate Armed Services Committee rejected the Obama administration’s request for $1 billion to fund the Iraqi security forces. This denial was on top of a $550 million cut from the supplemental to cover State Department funding for the sustainment of a strong U.S. diplomatic presence there.
The Senate will have a chance to restore funding for Iraqi security forces if the defense authorization act is brought back for consideration during the lame-duck session after the elections.
Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) justified his decision to halve our investment in Iraq’s security by pointing to figures — recently confirmed by the Government Accountability Office — reflecting a surplus in Baghdad’s budget. What he failed to mention is that those funds are already committed to paying off Iraq’s national debt.
Helping Iraq pay its bills during a period of U.S. economic turmoil may seem unnecessary. But it is useful to remember that this is a modest investment in the health of a fragile ally, in the center of a volatile region, whose stability is critical to U.S. interests...
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Heading out on the election trail, the Senate left behind a critical piece of business that could affect national security and U.S. interests in the Middle East for decades to come.
In August, the last U.S. combat forces left Iraq, leaving behind a liberated nation. A few months before the final elements of the U.S. Army’s 4th Stryker Brigade were crossing the Kuwait border, the Senate Armed Services Committee rejected the Obama administration’s request for $1 billion to fund the Iraqi security forces. This denial was on top of a $550 million cut from the supplemental to cover State Department funding for the sustainment of a strong U.S. diplomatic presence there.
The Senate will have a chance to restore funding for Iraqi security forces if the defense authorization act is brought back for consideration during the lame-duck session after the elections.
Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) justified his decision to halve our investment in Iraq’s security by pointing to figures — recently confirmed by the Government Accountability Office — reflecting a surplus in Baghdad’s budget. What he failed to mention is that those funds are already committed to paying off Iraq’s national debt.
Helping Iraq pay its bills during a period of U.S. economic turmoil may seem unnecessary. But it is useful to remember that this is a modest investment in the health of a fragile ally, in the center of a volatile region, whose stability is critical to U.S. interests...