With Billions In Budget Surpluses, Why Is Iraq Not Paying For It's Own Security?

CANAL LOOKOUT
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Dustin Thompson, left, sits in an irrigation canal with Cpl. Tim Barney, a forward observer, during a patrol, near Checkpoint North in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Sept. 23, 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Aaron Rooks

Can Iraq Pay For Its Own Security? Not Yet, U.S. Says -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News

BAGHDAD -- Iraq might be running a budget surplus but that doesn't mean it should spend it, U.S. officials said Tuesday, arguing that the Iraqi government's finances are too fragile for it to pay a greater share of its security costs.

The Obama administration's comments came in response to a new U.S. government study that found that Iraq had a surplus of $52.1 billion at the end of 2009, including $11.8 billion available to be spent.

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More News On Iraq Paying For It's Own Defense

US watchdogs say Iraq has own money for security -- AP
Iraq has budget surplus, can pay for more of its own defense, GAO report says -- L.A. Times
Iraq not spending on defense, report finds -- UPI
Iraq Posting Massive Surplus Thanks To U.S. Taxpayers -- Huffington Post
U.S. officials defend Iraq against attack — from the GAO -- McClatchy News
GAO: Iraq should spend more of its own money on defense -- Washington Post

WNU Editor: The GAO report can be found here.