The rebuilding process in Iraq must continue and needs the support of additional federal funding, U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers said Tuesday after visiting the war-torn country.
The Brighton Republican returned from his trip on Sunday with an 11-member delegation that met with Iraqi and American leaders over the past week. Rogers said now is the time to support additional funding requests from President Bush, expected to be more than $10 billion.
"We have to step up to the plate," Rogers, a second-term congressman, said. "We have a pretty unique opportunity to bring freedom to the Iraqi people."
After meeting with military leaders, Rogers said that no additional troops need to be sent over, but additional intelligence and more civilian employees should be brought overseas to train Iraqi police, doctors and help get electricity functioning.
"It would be very short-sighted if we don't spend money now," Rogers said of the possibilities of Iraq eventually having a booming economy. "What we put in now, we'll get back in the future."
Rogers said another option could be to issue loans that would be paid back through oil revenues.
Michael Rubner, a James Madison College professor and a Middle East expert, said the U.S. should invest domestically instead of spending more in Iraq.
"In some areas in Iraq, the United States' efforts and Great Britain have improved the situation," Rubner said. "But the bottom line is there is no law and order."
The daily deaths of Americans and Iraqis and the interference of different groups in the region is evidence that the streets are unruly, Rubner said.
And the reluctance of the Bush administration to release how much money has been spent or to set specific deadlines and goals to finish the rebuilding process is not acceptable, he said.
Rogers agrees that there are major security issues in Iraq, especially because many prisoners, including political violators and violent criminals, were released before the war's start.
He said there are about 100 arrests a night in an effort to clean up the streets.
Rogers also visited hospitals, met with leaders and stopped in on MSU President M. Peter McPherson at the compound he has worked out of during the past four months.
"He's lost weight and he was upset about missing the first football game," Rogers said. "He told me about his progress and said he's excited about coming back to MSU."
