The Bush administration has released details of its proposal to transfer $3.46 billion from rebuilding Iraqi infrastructure to strengthening security in the country. State Dept. officials said at a Sept. 14 press briefing that the plan calls for transferring $1.9 billion from water and sewerage work and $1.1 billion from electricity-sector reconstruction, and $450 million from purchases of petroleum products. The money then would be shifted to several other areas, with the largest portion, $1.8 billion, earmarked for security and law enforcement.

Marc Grossman, under secretary of State for political affairs, said that U.S. Ambassador to Iraq John Negroponte and top military officials "decided that without a significant reallocation of resources to the security and law enforcement sector, the short-term stability of Iraq would be compromised, and the longer-term prospects for a free and democratic Iraq undermined." He said that the added money for security would produce 45,000 new Iraqi police officers and 16,000 new border control officers and 20 more Iraqi national guard brigades.

The funds are part of a $18.4-billion supplemental spending bill enacted last November. Grossman said that as of Sept. 8, $1.14 billion of that total had been disbursed.

The changes would have to be approved by congressional appropriators. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) said on Sept. 15 that though he hadn't "taken a good look" yet at the plan, "It makes a lot of sense to me. That's money that's really there for the new government....And if this turn of events means that they need money for their own protection rather than money to restore some of the facilities we're restoring, I think...the administration is wise to agree to the request that's been made by the government of Iraq." He added, "I intend to help them" get the requested aid.

In a brief interview with ENR, the committee's senior Democrat, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, said of the proposal, "We'll look at it," but added. "What a shame. This administration doesn't know its way out. It should never have gone in. It was headlong, arrogant, ill-conceived, and the American people are...going to continue to pay for that war for years....This is the fruits of a terrible mistake by the Bush administration."