Harkin says Iraq operation is too expensive

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin says he’s stunned by the latest cost estimates for rebuilding Iraq. Harkin quotes a report released this morning saying the Bush Administration is estimating it’ll cost at least 60-billion dollars to reconstruct Iraq’s vital buildings, roads and other infrastructure.Harkin says that’s more than twice estimates from just a few months ago. He says it’s a case of “misplaced priorities” that 60-to-70-billion would be spent on Iraq when Congress can’t get the additional six-billion it wants for educational programs in the U.S. Harkin says “We were told in March, before the war started, it was just gonna’ be a small amount of money” and that Iraqi oil would take care of everything, but now “our taxpayers have gotta’ come up with 60 or 70-billion dollars.” Harkin says he’s not suggesting cutting off all funding for the effort in Iraq, but he says it does need to be contained.Potential partners in Iraq’s reconstruction are reacting to a proposed American-backed U-N resolution to share responsibility over the country’s future. The draft resolution seeks troops and money from all nations, but doesn’t relinquish U.S. political or military control. It would transform the U-S-led military force in Iraq into a U-N-authorized multinational force.