Republicans Threaten to Cut Aid to Iraq

Republicans Threaten to Cut Aid to Iraq
Published: 11/27/07, 1:05 AM EDT
By BEN EVANS and ANNE FLAHERTY
WASHINGTON (AP) - Two Republican senators said Monday that unless Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki makes more political progress by January, the U.S. should consider pulling political or financial support for his government.

The stern warnings, coming from Sens. Lindsey Graham and Saxby Chambliss, are an indication that while GOP patience on the war has greatly increased this fall because of security gains made by the military, it isn't bottomless.

"I do expect them to deliver," Graham, R-S.C., said in a phone interview upon returning from a Thanksgiving trip to Iraq. "What would happen for me if there's no progress on reconciliation after the first of the year, I would be looking at ways to invest our money into groups that can deliver."

Chambliss, R-Ga., who traveled with Graham as part of a larger congressional delegation, said lawmakers might even call for al-Maliki's ouster if Baghdad didn't reach agreement on at least some of the major issues seen as key to tamping down sectarian violence.

"If we don't see positive results by the end of the year I think you'll probably see a strong message coming out of Congress calling for a change in administration," he said in a conference call with reporters.

http://www.att.net/s/editorial.dll?bfromind=7816&eeid=5547765&_sitecat=1504&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=2&ck=&ch=ne