Military Chiefs Testify of Worries About War Funding

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30403-2004Feb10.html

The Army, Air Force and Marine Corps chiefs expressed concern yesterday about funding war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan once the current fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, saying some type of temporary financing will be necessary as they await the passage of a supplemental appropriation.

"I do not have an answer for exactly how we would do that," Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, the Army chief of staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee, with Gen. Michael W. Hagee, the Marine Corps commandant, and Gen. John P. Jumper, the Air Force chief, offering assenting views.

The chiefs' testimony came as senators, for the second time in a week, criticized the Bush administration for failing to include as much as $50 billion for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in its proposed $401.7 billion defense budget for fiscal 2005.

Pentagon Comptroller Dov S. Zakheim said last week that those costs would be covered in a fiscal 2005 supplemental measure that will not be proposed until January at the earliest, which means the military services will most likely have to borrow from fourth-quarter accounts to pay for first-quarter military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan until the supplemental is passed.

[tabasco]

1. The most incompetent administration I can remember.

The only thing that matters to them is the enrichment of their wealthy families and friends. After their robbery of our money, there is not enough left to pay the bills. So the deficit grows.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. 50 billion for ongoing military operations

They are waiting until after the election to reveal this little tidbit.

Bush will just smirk wave his hand and say "I'm gonna shubmit a shuplamental ya see"