IT'S ABOUT TIME: PRESSURE FOR IRAQ TO PAY ITS OWN WAY

Pressure for Iraq to pay its own way
By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JE09Ak02.html

Growing impatience in the US Congress over the enormous costs incurred by the Iraq war, as well as the Pentagon's belief that it needs more troops in Afghanistan to fight insurgents there, is putting the vaunted success of the George W Bush administration's "surge" strategy to the test.

Although the House of Representatives appears poised to approve an additional US$163 billion on Thursday for military operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan through the end of the year, most observers believe that Congress will impose unprecedented conditions on Iraq-related spending.

This could include requirements that the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki pays substantially more in reconstruction and related costs