(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-04-09 23:36

Perino would not discuss specifics of Bush's remarks, citing the ongoing testimony on Capitol Hill by the United States' top figures in Iraq and a White House meeting Wednesday afternoon between the president and congressional leaders of both parties. But she left no doubt that the shape of the decision is all but done, and essentially ruled out that anything lawmakers say could change his mind.

"I think the president has gotten a lot of advice," she said. "I think he's pretty far down the path of what he's going to say tomorrow."

Democrats say pausing troop reductions would signal to the Iraqis that the United States was committed to the war indefinitely. They plan to push legislation this spring that would force the Iraqi government to spend its own surplus in oil revenues to rebuild the country, sparing US dollars.

"This nation is facing record deficits and the Iraqis have translated their oil revenues into budget surpluses rather than effective services," Skelton said. "Under these circumstances and with the strategic risk to our nation and our military readiness, we and the American people must ask - why should we stay in Iraq in large numbers?"

Iraq is looking at a potential boon in oil revenue this year, possibly as much as $100 billion in 2007 and 2008. Meanwhile, the US military is having to buy its fuel on the open market, paying on average $3.23 a gallon and spending some $153 million a month in Iraq on fuel alone.

While Iraq pays for fuel for its own troops, it has relied heavily on US dollars to provide people with basic services, including more than $45 billion for reconstruction.

Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, estimated on Tuesday that Iraq has some $30 billion in US banks. He said he expects legislation addressing the issue will be proposed as part of this year's war spending bill or the 2009 defense authorization bill.

Lacking the votes to order troops home by a certain date, Democrats see fencing off reconstruction money as an alternative to challenging the Bush administration's Iraq policies. And several Republicans have signaled their concerns about burgeoning Iraqi oil revenues at a time when the war is growing increasingly costly.

   1 2   

   1 2