http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040520/pl_afp/us_iraq_reconstruction&cid=1521&ncid=1480
And, wasn't the Iraqi oil going to pay for the reconstruction???
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) urged the United States' coalition partners in Iraq (news - web sites) to be generous in their financial pledges to the reconstruction effort, suggesting that in some cases that was not the case.
"This is the time to be generous and to make your pledges known," Powell said in a State Department meeting with diplomats from 32 countries present in Iraq.
"Many countries represented this morning have contributed financially to the reconstruction effort in Iraq. I urge you all to disburse your pledges quickly and I hope that your governments will consider additional assistance.
Powell said that a donors' conference set for May 25-26 in Qatar run by Japan would make Iraq's international aid needs clearer.
"A success of any kind always requires investment of this nature. If we don't do it now, up front, in the beginning, we will end up paying for later on, under less favorable circumstances.
"Reconstruction costs money," Powell said.
A donors' conference in Madrid in October yielded pledges of 33 billion dollars in assistance through 2007.
And, wasn't the Iraqi oil going to pay for the reconstruction???