Iraq stalls on budgetary measures

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Baghdad's failure to pass efficient budget reforms overshadows the security gains witnessed in the aftermath of the surge strategy, officials say.

Lawrence Korb with the Center for American Progress testified Tuesday before the House Budget Committee on the surplus in the Iraqi government, noting the reduction in violence has not been matched by legislative reform.

"Rather than creating breathing room for the Iraqi government to undertake meaningful political reconciliation," Korb said, "the continued large-scale American troop presence has allowed the Iraqi government to stall on making the tough choices that a timetable for an American withdrawal would force them to confront."

He noted a failure on the part of the Iraqi government to pass the much-needed hydrocarbon law, continued delays in implementing provincial elections and a lack of progress on national reconciliation.

The revenue generated by the Iraqi government continues to grow as reconstruction gains momentum, but the political will necessary to implement a budget "is virtually non-existent," Korb said.

The senior fellow said after five years of financing infrastructure development and the war effort in Iraq with money from the American taxpayer, it's time for the Iraqi government to take financial responsibility for its own stabilization.

U.S. officials, however, must offer fiscal management assistance to Baghdad in order to avoid corruption and help implement a budget that works for the Iraqi people, he said.