Now that the $18.4 billion for Iraq reconstruction has been largely spent or squandered (actually $24 billion) and the US Treasury is being hit with Katrina’s aftermath, USAID is looking for donations to Iraq reconstruction projects.
Next up, a telethon. (Thanks to Charlie Cray).
The September 9 solicitation for donations follows directly on the heels of testimonty before Congress by Stuart Bowen, U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, who suggested there is no longer enough money for rebuilding Iraq.
“In order to complete the plan we initially developed, we’ll need more money,” Bowen told the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee on Sept. 7. “Whether that money can come from donor sources, World Bank loans or a supplemental is yet to be decided.
Bowen added that it was not the right time to ask for more money to finance Iraqi reconstruction while the disaster of Hurricane Katrina was still being appraised, but it was clear that more funding would be needed.
“It is an issue that we need to address at the right time,” Bowen told Reuters after a hearing.