Iraq Rebuffs U.S. Congressional Delegation

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright June 12, 2011
All Rights Reserved.                                         

          Iraq’s dicey relationship with the U.S. Congress hit new lows with the government of President Nouri al-Maliki rebuffing conservative California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.).   Rohrabacher, an eight-term Congressman from two different Orange County Districts, heads the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, currently investigating reports about Iraqi murder of Iranian exiles.  Showing his irreverence for the politically correct, Rohrabacher touched a subject abhorrent to Iraq’s government:  Iraq’s betrayal of promises of pay the hefty price-tag for the Iraq War.  American taxpayers today have worked harder, sacrificed more and paid a hefty price to fund new governments in Iraq and Afghanistan.  With the U.S. economy teetering on a double-dip recession, al-Maliki thinks Rohranbacher is out of line expecting Iraq to foot the bill.

            Columbia University Nobel-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz warnedFeb. 23, 2008 that the Iraq and Afghan wars could cost the U.S. $3 trillion.  On Sept. 21, 2008 major U.S. banks ran out of cash, attesting to the unsustainable economic strain caused by the Iraq and Afghan wars.  Al-Maliki thinks Rohrabacher is out of order asking what happened to Iraq’s oil revenues promised to help fund the war.  “Once Iraq becomes a very rich and prosperous country . . . we hop that some consideration be given to repaying the United States some of the mega-dollars that we have spent here in the last eight years,” said Rohrabacher, ruffling feathers in Baghdad.  “Congressional visitors do not necessarily express the views of the U.S. administration or even a majority in Congress.  The visitors this weekend made that clear in their remarks,” said Embassy spokesman David Ranz

            Given the sluggish U.S. economy, President Barack Obama would be well-advised to heed Rohrabacher’s point of getting the Iraqis to finance U.S. reconstruction and military efforts in Iraq.  Suggesting that Rohrabachers is out-of-step with mainstream Americans is preposterous.  Most Americans have begged Obama to end both the Iraq and Afghan wars on the grounds that it’s damaging economic recovery.  With only 47,000 U.S. troops remaining in Iraq, al-Maliki now reconsiders extending the current timetable for U.S. troop withdrawals, scheduled for Jan. 1, 2012.  After losing his seven-point bounce in the polls since Bin Laden’May 1 death, Barack’s been in a virtual freefall.  More bad news on the economy makes Rohrabacher’s request all the more reasonable.  Given the state of the U.S. economy, Obama needs to reinforce, not discount, Rohrabacher’s message.

           Given a blank check for the last eight years, it’s high time for the White House to acknowledge that the U.S. can’t foot Iraq’s nation-building bill indefinitely.  Promised oil revenues in 2003, al-Maliki needs to stop bashing the U.S. and pay up.  No matter where one stands on the political spectrum, all agree that the U.S. can’t afford to continue funding the Iraq and Afghan wars.  Stiglitz wasn’t kidding when he warned the wars could cost up to $3 trillion and break the U.S. economy.  When former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan said in 2008 that it was the worst U.S. economy of his lifetime, he was telling the truth.  Today’s GOP presidential hopefuls like to blame the mess on entirely on Obama.  Over two-and-a-half-years into his presidency, it’s his economy to fix.  Asking Iraq to pay up petrodollars would be a helpful start in reassuring Wall Street.

            Iraqi spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh informed the U.S. Embassy that Rohrabacher’s delegation was no longer welcome.  “We have contacted the U.S. Embassy and they said that the remarks of Congressman Dana Rohrabacher expressed his own opinion and not the official opinion of the United States,” said al-Dabbagh, unwilling the face the reality that the U.S. can no longer underwrite the Iraq War or reconstruction.  Instead of speaking with a different voice, the White House should back Rohrabacher’s honest appraisal of the war.  Where’s the separation from the White House and Rohrabacher when it comes to the endless hemorrhage to the U.S. economy?  Economists on both sides of the aisle agree the wars are no longer affordable.  Given Obama plunging poll numbers, he can ill-afford to allow foreign wars and nation-building to torpedo economic recovery.

            Rohrabacher’s comments on Iraq deserve praise from the White House not some politically correct dismissal.  Most Americans mirror Rohrabacher’s concern that it’s time for Iraq to pay up on economy-busting costs.  Given all the sacrifices made by U.S. taxpayers, Al-Maliki has real nerve rebuffing any Congressional delegation, no matter who’s leading it.  When a massacre of 34 Iranian exiles took place in April at Camp Ashraf, U.S. officials have every right to investigate what happened.  Al-Maliki can’t have it both ways:  Blasting the U.S. for violating Iraq’s sovereignty and, at the same time, using U.S. troops to preserve his tenuous grip on power.  When Obama considers al-Maliki’s request for a troop extension, he should make clear that Iraq must foot the bill.  Gone are the days when Iraq has a blank check from the U.S. Treasury.  It’s time for Iraq to pony up.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2005 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.