[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9302]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IRAQ WAR COSTS--WHO SHOULD PAY?

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, while in Iraq last week with Members 
of Congress, we not only met with our troops, but we met with Prime 
Minister Maliki. During our conversation, it was suggested to Mr. 
Maliki that Iraq eventually assume some of the costs for this war of 
liberation.
  The war has cost billions of dollars and thousands of American lives. 
Since we are rebuilding Iraq and have given them a free democracy, it 
seems only right that Iraq at least consider paying for part of the 
cost with future oil revenues. I was surprised that Prime Minister 
Maliki reacted with an emphatic ``no way'' to sharing the cost. Even 
Kuwait helped reimburse the coalition nations when Saddam was driven 
from their lands. But not Iraq. They will not hear of it.
  Later this same day, we learned that the Prime Minister had actually 
ordered the Members of Congress out of Iraq. Looks like our questions 
to him were a political IED.
  But as the date for our military looms ever closer for departure, 
there are reports the Prime Minister wants our military to stay a 
little longer and Americans to pay for it. Iraq should help pay for the 
nation that Americans rebuilt and liberated.
  And that's just the way it is.

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