Year in Review: Congress and National Security in 2007
Congress's failure to end the disastrous Iraq War in 2007 masked a series of less visible but nonetheless important triumphs on national security issues.
Analysis of FY2008 "Bridge" War Funding Supplemental (Attached to Omnibus Appropriations Bill S. 2764): Cost of Wars Now $700 Billion, Surpasses Vietnam War
Congress just approved $70 billion in "bridge" funding for ongoing U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The total cost for these wars now totals $700 billion, becoming the second costliest conflict in American history after only World War II.
Oversight, Sectarianism Mar Iraqi Security Forces Development
Two new reports raise further questions about the long-term sustainability of security progress in Iraq. The inability of the Iraqi Security Forces to function without support from the United States raises serious concerns about Iraq's future sovereignty.
Analysis of Conference Agreement on the FY2008 Defense Authorization Bill (H.R. 1585/S. 1547)
The House and Senate conferees completed their work on H.R. 1585, the FY'08 Defense Authorization bill, on December 6. The bill includes $506.9 billion for the Department of Defense. The full House is expected to take up consideration of the legislation on Wednesday, December 12.
Analysis of FY2008 “Bridge” War Funding Supplemental (House Version, H.R. 4156) and Administration Supplemental Requests
On November 8, lawmakers released a $50 billion "bridge" or temporary funding bill for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill also contains Iraq policy language.
CBO Says $1.765 Trillion to $2.365 Trillion for Iraq and Afghanistan by 2017
If one includes debt service costs in long-term U.S. deployment scenarios, the total cost for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan will reach between $1.765 trillion and $2.365 trillion by 2017.
Make Walls, Not War
In a surge of realism, the Senate has voted 75-23 to acknowledge that Iraq has broken up and cannot be put back together.
Cross Your Fingers: V-22 Ospreys Off to Iraq
On September 17, a Marine Corps aviation squadron of 10 MV-22 Ospreys sailed for Iraq onboard the USS Wasp, a small Navy amphibious assault ship.
The Next Korea? Estimated Cost of a Long-Term U.S. Presence in Iraq
Fifty years after the Korean War, 30,000 U.S. troops are still stationed along the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). President George W. Bush and other senior administration officials have cited Korea as a model for how the United States should shape its long-term presence in Iraq.
It's Past Time to Sit Down with Iran
The drumbeat for American action against Iran has steadily grown over the past year. The latest call to arms came during congressional testimony on the situation in Iraq by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker.
The Victor?
In his continuing effort to bolster support for the Iraq war, President Bush traveled to Reno, Nevada, on August 28 to speak to the annual convention of the American Legion. He emphatically warned of the Iranian threat should the United States withdraw from Iraq.
Summary of Updated National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq
The NIE concludes that the high level of violence found prior to the increase in American forces has been reduced, but that overall violence still remains high, especially against civilian targets.
The Real Lessons of the Vietnam-Iraq Analogy
In a stunning shift of logic and rhetoric, President Bush recently decided that parallels should be drawn between the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq.
Budgeting for War
With the attention of the media and most of the country focused on the report on Iraq being delivered to Congress this week by Gen. David Petraeus and Amb. Ryan Crocker, the Senate will also be taking up the Pentagon's annual funding legislation.
Summary of GAO Report on Securing, Stabilizing, and Rebuilding Iraq
This report represents the findings of the General Accountability Office (GAO) from their year long assessment of the 18 benchmarks set down jointly by the Bush and Maliki administrations.
Bush Won't Stop the Bucks
Having already sacrificed its international and domestic political effectiveness to prolong the ill-fated war in Iraq, the White House now stands poised to throw more money at the problem.
The Bucks Never Stop: Iraq and Afghanistan War Costs Continue To Soar
If the FY 2008 request is approved by Congress, the global war on terror will become the second costliest conflict in U.S. history in inflation-adjusted terms. Only World War II cost more.
Backgrounder on Proposed U.S. Arms Sale to the Middle East
In July, it was announced that the United States plans to sell at least $20 billion in advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia and its neighbors in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
A Debt Owed to Iraq's Refugees
U.N. official Roberta Cohen was right to label the refugee crisis in Iraq "pretty dire."
The Way to Go in Iraq
We need an Iraq policy with sufficient nuance to protect American interests. Unfortunately, we probably won't get it.
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