AIR FORCE SEEKING 50 BILLION $$$$ IN "EMERGENCY" FUNDS

[Jcrowley]

Air Force said to seek $50 bln emergency funds
Tue Oct 31, 2006 2:51pm ET
By Andrea Shalal-Esa

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force is asking the Pentagon's leadership for a staggering $50 billion in emergency funding for fiscal 2007 -- an amount equal to nearly half its annual budget, defense analyst Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute said on Tuesday.

The request is expected to draw criticism on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are increasingly worried about the huge sums being sought "off budget" to fund wars, escaping the more rigorous congressional oversight of regular budgets.

Another source familiar with the Air Force plans said the extra funds would help pay to transport growing numbers of U.S. soldiers being killed and wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thompson, who has close ties to U.S. military officials, said the big funding request was fueled by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England. England told the services in a October 25 memo to include the "longer war on terror," not just the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in their emergency requests.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2006-10-31T195049Z_01_N31154342_RTRUKOC_0_US-ARMS-BUDGET.xml

[iconoclastic cat]

1. Iran. nt

[Strelnikov_]

8. Yep

Thompson, who has close ties to U.S. military officials, said the big funding request was fueled by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England. England told the services in a October 25 memo to include the "longer war on terror," not just the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in their emergency requests.

[bonito]

15. Yep

Check out the build up in the gulf.

[pinto]

2. Staggering is an understatement here. And of course the smoke 'n mirrors

game getting played here, is "emergency" appropriations aren't ever in the usual budget approval process. Bushco's been playing this one since they were selected.

Augmentation funds, emergency funds. It's really "no oversight" funds. The Pentagon, if they needed these funds for transport expenses, knew that a looong time ago.

[bronxiteforever]

3. K & R

The Bush money pit. and talk about your "DEATH TAX"-air force needs more money to transport the growing numbers of US soldiers being killed and wounded!!

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Here's a start. Scrap AF-1 and the idiot that thinks it's his personal taxi

It's a start.

[williesgirl]

5. $50 BILLION - that's one hell of alot of transporting, but "we're winning"

recommended

[Tinksrival]

6. This country is so fucked up!

:( http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=81&Itemid=107

[originalpckelly]

7. Just what the hell is the "longer war on terror"?

:shrug:

I mean I know we're in a war, I know why, and I know it's going to last a while, but the President has been saying that for years. What is the sudden unknown emergency cost?

[Strelnikov_]

9. Refer To Post 1 n/t

[Jcrowley]

10. Endless war

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. 150% of China's total yearly military expenditures.

Enough!

[bleever]

12. Broken military: thanks, George.

[Canuckistanian]

13. Oh? And where is this "longer war on terror" to be fought?

Where, exactly does the Air Force anticipate spending all that "emergency" money?

It couldn't be Iraq or Afghanistan, that surely has been budgeted for.

What a waste of money.

But, I suppose, Rumsferatu will champion this "cause", as well.

[Laelth]

14. Consider that there may be more to this story.

This isn't for the wounded. This may very well be emergency funding to pull out the entire American occupation army. We may be leaving Iraq. It seems we have no choice. We lost.

just a thought ...

-Laelth

[AntiFascist]

16. K&R n/t