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I found this article in Slate Magazine and thought some of you may find it interesting. The consequences of the President's veto was a topic at lunch yesterday, so I figured it may be something some of you may be wondering about, also.

The article in full can be found at Slate Magazine Online

This week, President Bush is expected to veto a $124.2 billion war spending bill that stipulates a timeline for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Lawmakers may revise the legislation, but in the meantime, could the armed forces run out of money?

Yes, but it's very unlikely. Even if a standoff between Congress and the president kept the war spending bill on ice for a few months, the Department of Defense would be able to cover its expenses in Iraq. That's because most of the DoD's money comes from the annual defense appropriations act, which Congress OK'd in September. The $437 billion bill allocates funding for day-to-day military operations—pretty much everything besides Iraq, Afghanistan, and the war on terror. But it also grants the DoD some flexibility to shift funds between programs.

The government currently pays for war-related costs like extra fuel out of $70 billion in emergency funds, which were part of the September package. If necessary, the DoD can move $7.5 billion of the total operations budget to more urgent needs, like forces in Iraq. This is enough to fund operations and maintenance in the Army through most of July, according to the Congressional Research Service, the research arm of the U.S. Congress. Delaying facility repairs and equipment overhaul and restricting travel are other moves that can trim costs without sacrificing troop readiness. In addition, the military has circumvented its cash-flow problems in the past by tapping money that's budgeted for spending later in the year and then paying back those programs when the funds finally come through. If the military finds itself in dire straits, it may consider calling on the Feed and Forage Act to help pay for clothing, medicine, and other supplies.

The White House, however, believes that cutbacks are already hurting troop readiness. The DoD said in March that it will support the Marine Corps and the Army with money originally intended for replacing vehicles and modernizing tactical communications. General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has also talked about halting some training for Guard, Reserve, and unit soldiers. In 1994, for instance, the United States delayed training at home to help pay for missions in Somalia and Haiti. When last year's supplemental war spending bill didn't pass until mid-June, Army officials compensated by curtailing nonessential travel, limiting meetings and hiring, sending cargo overland instead of in planes, and stopping work on some contracts. Some family members of soldiers couldn't find jobs on military bases.

Chances are high that Congress and the White House will go to great lengths to avoid a stalemate that might leave soldiers without armor or otherwise weaken the war effort. The biggest budget showdown of recent years took place in the mid-1990s, when Bill Clinton had to shut down the federal government twice.
It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.
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Whether vetoed, or stopped by Congress, we already have a model of what happens when the money drys up to prosicute a war. Case in point: Vietnam. The loss of American lives stops, the bleading of our money stops, the strongest faction in the country we leave kills a lot of the opposition and takes over, peace comes, we normalize relations with them, we start trading with them.
Took way too long to happen in Vietnam. We should be smarter now. (except the idiot)
that smart chick, This from The Jerusalum Post, May 1,2007

Top Hamas official: Kill all Americans By JPOST.COM STAFF

Sheik Ahmad Bahr, acting Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, declared during a Friday sermon at a Sudan mosque that America and Israel will be annihilated and called upon Allah to kill Jews and Americans "to the very Last One". Following are excerpts from the sermon that took place last month, courtesy of MEMRI.

Ahmad Bahr began: "You will be victorious" on the face of this planet. You are the masters of the world on the face of this planet. Yes, [the Koran says that] "you will be victorious," but only "if you are believers." Allah willing, "you will be victorious," while America and Israel will be annihilated. I guarantee you that the power of belief and faith is greater than the power of America and Israel. They are cowards, who are eager for life, while we are eager for death for the sake of Allah. That is why America's nose was rubbed in the mud in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Somalia, and everywhere.

Bahr continued and said that America will be annihilated, while Islam will remain. The Muslims "will be victorious, if you are believers." Oh Muslims, I guarantee you that the power of Allah is greater than America, by whom many are blinded today. Some people are blinded by the power of America. We say to them that with the might of Allah, with the might of His Messenger, and with the power of Allah, we are stronger than America and Israel.

The Hamas spokesperson concluded with a prayer, saying: "Oh Allah, vanquish the Jews and their supporters. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them all, down to the very last one. Oh Allah, show them a day of darkness. Oh Allah, who sent down His Book, the mover of the clouds, who defeated the enemies of the Prophet defeat the Jews and the Americans, and bring us victory over them."
Shocking, loggedin, just shocking. A Hamas leader so angry with the United States that he is calling for war.
I cannot for the life of me imagine why he would do that. What did the United States ever do to him? What have we ever said about Hamas? Is this Madman Sheik Ahmad Bahr threatened in some way by American Policy?
quote:
Originally posted by EdEKit:
Shocking, loggedin, just shocking. A Hamas leader so angry with the United States that he is calling for war.
I cannot for the life of me imagine why he would do that. What did the United States ever do to him? What have we ever said about Hamas? Is this Madman Sheik Ahmad Bahr threatened in some way by American Policy?


Jeeez, I dunno but it must be because the Clintons were making out with Arafat's wife?

loggedin

Top Hamas official: Kill all Americans By JPOST.COM STAFF

Sheik Ahmad Bahr, acting Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, declared during a Friday sermon at a Sudan mosque that America and Israel will be annihilated and called upon Allah to kill Jews and Americans "to the very Last One". Following are excerpts from the sermon that took place last month, courtesy of MEMRI.

Ahmad Bahr began: "You will be victorious" on the face of this planet. You are the masters of the world on the face of this planet. Yes, [the Koran says that] "you will be victorious," but only "if you are believers." Allah willing, "you will be victorious," while America and Israel will be annihilated. I guarantee you that the power of belief and faith is greater than the power of America and Israel. They are cowards, who are eager for life, while we are eager for death for the sake of Allah. That is why America's nose was rubbed in the mud in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Somalia, and everywhere.

Bahr continued and said that America will be annihilated, while Islam will remain. The Muslims "will be victorious, if you are believers." Oh Muslims, I guarantee you that the power of Allah is greater than America, by whom many are blinded today. Some people are blinded by the power of America. We say to them that with the might of Allah, with the might of His Messenger, and with the power of Allah, we are stronger than America and Israel.

The Hamas spokesperson concluded with a prayer, saying: "Oh Allah, vanquish the Jews and their supporters. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them all, down to the very last one. Oh Allah, show them a day of darkness. Oh Allah, who sent down His Book, the mover of the clouds, who defeated the enemies of the Prophet defeat the Jews and the Americans, and bring us victory over them."


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To begin with the title of the article is obviously slanted. It's the usual distortions we expect from MEMRI. He is calling Allah to kill Jews, Israelis and Americans.

Beginning in the 1800's European Jews came and took the land that Palestinians have been the majority people in since the 7th century. The Jews were a tiny minority since Rome destroyed Israel and expelled them

The Jews used violence and terror and ethnic cleansing. In 1967 they invaded the Palestinian side of the partition and are stealing that also. They have always claimed all of Palestine. They kill, repress and ethnically cleanse Palestinians while they build Jewish settlements in them. Palestinians live under a repressive apartheid occupation. Israel has the 4th to 6th most powerful military in the world, the Palestinian don't even have an army. Without US $$$$$$$ Israel could not afford it's expansionist policies and territorial demands and would be forced to live witting their legal borders and accept peace.

The current sanctions on the Palestinians is slowly starving them and causing extreme hardships and malnutrition.

The US has also invaded Iraq and has killed hundreds of thousands of people. It's to steal their oil and control the region.

The prayer is a pray of an oppressed defensless people to God to kill those who kill and ethnically cleanse them form their land.

Meanwhile the Arab League has voted fopr peace if Israel will abide by international law and end their occupation and allow the war refuges their legal right to return to their homes that were stolen in Israel.

Hamas has abided by a truce while Israel continues to kill and repress and steal land.


As far as the War Funding Bill goes I have also heard that DOD can use money up until July when the real battle between congress and Bush will occur. Bush is betting Congress will back down while some democrats are saying that the patience of the American people is running out and they will have more support to introduce an even stronger time table in July.

We will see.

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