<<... several lawmakers said he was exaggerating Iraq's connections to terror groups. "We just haven't seen any proof of linkages between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda," said Sen. Lincoln Chafee, a Rhode Island Republican who said Liberia had much clearer ties to terrorists.
Sen. Russell Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, said the administration should deal honestly with the situation in Iraq "instead of constantly trying to pretend that Sept. 11 and Iraq are the same issue.">>
Senators Rap Administration on Iraq Policies
Tue Jul 29, 2:36 PM ET
By Vicki Allen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senators from both parties on Tuesday assailed the Bush administration for not spelling out the costs of rebuilding Iraq (news - web sites), and for focusing on Iraq's role in terrorism to the exclusion of other threats.
In sometimes testy exchanges with Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee also accused the administration of glossing over the problems of stabilizing Iraq and the long-term need for a major military presence.
"Because of some combination of bureaucratic inertia, political caution and unrealistic expectations left over from the war, we do not appear to be confident about our course in Iraq," said Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican.
"I think you're going to lose the American people if you don't come forward now and tell them what you know, that it's going to cost tens of billions of American taxpayers' dollars and tens of thousands of American troops for an extended period of time," said Sen. Joe Biden, a Delaware Democrat.
Wolfowitz and White House budget director Joshua Bolten refused to budge from their stance that they cannot estimate costs because the situation in Iraq is too fluid.
Bolten said "for the next couple of months" he expected costs of maintaining troops in Iraq will stay at about $4 billion per month, but would not predict beyond that.
Lawmakers also pressed for information on U.S. efforts to get more international help in Iraq.
Wolfowitz said he would welcome an official United Nations (news - web sites) role in providing peacekeeping forces. But he said, "Speed is of the essence here and the U.N. isn't always speedy."
In lengthy remarks that centered on atrocities under toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), Wolfowitz cited progress in restoring basic services and in gaining the confidence of the people.
Just back from a trip to Iraq, he called it the central battleground in the war on terrorism.
"Right now it is where it's being fought and that's why these terrorists are coming in there," Wolfowitz said. "There is no doubt in my mind that we will be much more secure when we win this battle in Iraq."
But several lawmakers said he was exaggerating Iraq's connections to terror groups. "We just haven't seen any proof of linkages between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda," said Sen. Lincoln Chafee (news, bio, voting record), a Rhode Island Republican who said Liberia (news - web sites) had much clearer ties to terrorists.
Sen. Russell Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, said the administration should deal honestly with the situation in Iraq "instead of constantly trying to pretend that Sept. 11 and Iraq are the same issue."
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