General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker today testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, of which Senator Susan Collins is a Member, to discuss the current situation in Iraq. During the hearing Senator Collins pointed out that the price of oil, which is at a record high, is providing the Iraqi government with significant additional financial resources. Consequently, Senator Collins is proposing that aid to Iraq be provided in the form of a loan that would be repaid to the American taxpayer and that the Iraqis begin covering the cost of training and equipping their troops. Senator Collins also questioned General Petraeus about why U.S. troops should still be taking the lead role in most combat situations in Iraq.
Senator Collins pointed out that Iraq has the second largest oil reserve in the world and that the Iraqi government is benefitting from the record high price of oil. Yet the U.S. is continuing to provide the Iraqi government aid for expenses that it has the financial resources to pay. Senator Collins said, “The U.S. is continuing to pay for the training and equipment of Iraqi forces, fuel within Iraq, and the salaries, in many cases, of Iraqis. Isn’t it time for the Iraqis to start bearing more of those expenses, particularly in light of the windfall in revenues due to the high price of oil?”
Senator Collins is working with Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) on a proposal that would restructure some aid to Iraq and require that it be repaid to the U.S. In addition, in 2003, a bipartisan group of Senators, which included Senator Collins, introduced a measure to require the Iraqi government to repay to the U.S. reconstruction and other aid dollars provided to that nation.
Ambassador Crocker said that he agreed with Senator Collins and that he and General Petraeus are currently in discussions with the Iraqi Prime Minister to devise a plan for the Iraqi government to pay some of the expenses that are currently being paid by the U.S. government.
Senator Collins also questioned General Petraeus about the U.S.’s role in combat operations in Iraq. Senator Collins said, “Ultimately the fate of the Iraq is up to the Iraqi people. My concern is that as long as we continue to take the lead in combat operations rather than transitioning to more limited missions, the Iraqis will never step up to the plate and fight for their country. So why should the US continue to take the lead in combat operations?”
She pointed to the recent battle in Basra where news reports indicated that more than 1000 Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions. Senator Collins called the event “troubling.” She said that the Senate Armed Services Committee has been hearing witness testimony for years about how the Iraqi combat and security forces were improving. Yet, when put to the test, Senator Collins said, they perform unevenly.