Bush Funds Reconstruction Efforts
The Washington Post has an article today about a new office which is being set up by the State Department. It is called the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization.
An extract:
“When President Bush sent Congress an $82 billion supplemental request last month for emergency funding for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, it included $17 million in start-up funds for a State Department office that would help manage the aftermath of war and stabilize countries torn by civil conflict.”
$82 billion? Supplemental? I’m sure I read somewhere that the Republicans were opposed to big government. I must have misread it.
Anyway, of that $82 billion, $17 million is to go to the new department. If my understanding of the US definition of billion is correct, that makes it around 2% for the new department . I’m going to speculate that most of the remaining 98% is earmarked for the US armed forces. I’m going to speculate further that this demonstrates the degree to which Mr Bush is committed to the welfare of Iraqi and Afghan civilians.