U.S. State Dept official demands Congress protect American efforts in Iraq

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com – A leading U.S. State Department official has warned that American efforts over the past eight years to achieve stability in Iraq might be lost if the Congress fails to finance the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, according to an Associated Press (AP) report on Wednesday. “The U.S. State Department’s Undersecretary, William Brownfield, during a visit to the Iraqi police forces, has reiterated the necessity for U.S. President Obama’s administration to boost its efforts in Iraq,” the report pointed out. The U.S. State Department had demanded Congress allocate one billion (b) U.S. dollars for training 210,000 Iraqi Federal Police forces, being part of the U.S. Embassy’s efforts in Baghdad, which is carrying out that mission for the U.S. Army. The Associated Press had confirmed that “the allocation of the said amount was not secured, at a time when the Congress concentrates on reducing expenses,” whilst it quoted Brownfield as describing the U.S. budget as “one of the strangest budgets he had seen in his whole life.” SKH (TI)/SR   926