Wednesday, October 15, 2008

It's his war till the end

George Bush signed into the law the national defence budget authorization for 2009 and then later issued his signing statement on the legislation i.e. where he explains which section of the law he won't be obeying. Among the sections he intends to violate --

SEC. 1211. LIMITATION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES RELATING TO IRAQ.

No funds appropriated pursuant to an authorization of appropriations in this Act may be obligated or expended for a purpose as follows:

(1) To establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq.

(2) To exercise United States control of the oil resources of Iraq.

SEC. 1508. (b) Combined Operations-

(1) COST SHARING- The United States Government shall initiate negotiations with the Government of Iraq on an agreement under which the Government of Iraq shall share with the United States Government the costs of combined operations of the Government of Iraq and the Multi-National Forces Iraq undertaken as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

(2) REPORT- Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, submit to Congress a report describing the status of negotiations under paragraph (1).


Note that there is a symmetry to the two sections, since the fact that the Iraqi government isn't paying for the war could be used as the political basis for claiming an entitlement to its oil.

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