How do you Combat terrorism? Throw Money at it!

The supplemental spending request Bush recently sent to Congress includes plenty of "add-ons" that have nothing to do with supporting the troops. By using the supplemental request, instead of budgeting these items in the 2006 FY budget he already sent to congress, the administration doesn't have to explain how the money would be used, but rather proffers congress an obscure blank check. Especially appalling after the American run Iraq Provisional Authority couldn't account for over $10 billion dollars of money already sent. Among my personal favorite add-ons: $400 million to pay-off nations we bribed into the "coalition of the willing" and $150 million for military aid for Pakistan---a country who's current leader took over by military coup?

How does the administration decide to sell this to the congress? Scare them. That's right, it's worked for everything else, why not continue crying wolf at every chance we get. "Speaking with one voice, President Bush's top intelligence and military officials said Wednesday that terrorists are regrouping for possible new strikes against the United States. They said the best defense was for Congress to approve the president's military and anti-terror budget."

Here are some of the extras in the supplemental request:

War budget request loaded with extras

$5.3 BILLION

Reorganizing Army and Marines to fight terrorism

$950 MILLION

Recovery funds for nations hit by South Asian tsunami

$342 MILLION

Aid to feed refugees and bolster peace accord in Sudan

$200 MILLION

Education and border security for Palestinians

$60 MILLION

Support for Ukraine's new reform government

Among the funds not directly related to U.S. military action:

Bill not entirely for U.S. military action

AMOUNT / REASON FOR FUNDING

$7.4 billion: Training/equipping Iraqi and Afghan military and police.

$5.3 billion: Restructuring Army and Marine units.

$1.85 billion: Countering drugs, paying for security and supporting reconstruction in Afghanistan.

$950 million: Helping areas affected by the recent tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

$1.38 billion: Constructing/operating a new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

$400 million: Economically assisting nations that have taken political and economic risks to join the U.S.-led coalitions in Iraq and Afghanistan

$342 million: Providing aid to promote peace for people in civil war-stricken Sudan.

$200 million: Funding education and border security for the Palestinians.

$300 million: Providing economic and military aid in Jordan.

$150 million: Providing military aid for Pakistan.

$60 million: Aiding Ukraine

$780 million: Funding international peacekeeping activities

Source: White House

Chicago Tribune

posted by Sarai @ 5:41 PM