US to Put $20 Billion ‘Downpayment’ on
Fighting Terrorism
By Kim Burger, JDW Staff Reporter Washington DC
The US Congress is expected as early as 13 September to approve $20 billion in emergency funding to help the US respond to terrorist attacks that killed thousands.
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the funding requested by President George Bush would help ready US armed forces for a possible retaliatory strike, but stated it would be just a “downpayment” towards a broad campaign against terrorism.
“One thing, it’s clear, is that you don’t do it with just a single military strike, you don’t do it with just military forces alone. You do it with the full resources of the US government. It will be a campaign, not a single action,” Wolfowitz said 13 September.
“$20 billion is a lot of money, but for this country it is just a downpayment.”
The supplemental funding request would cover some costs of the massive search and recovery efforts under way at the site of terrorist attacks this week at the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The funds will also pay other costs including rebuilding the Pentagon and to support combat air patrols of US skies.
A “significant piece” of the total will also go toward bringing the military to “the highest level of preparedness” to act as ordered by the president, Wolfowitz said. The money would fund the costs of readying fuel and other logistics needs, operational costs, force protection measures and intelligence.
Wolfowitz said he anticipates Congress also will be supportive of increasing funding as needed in Fiscal Year 2002, which is the subject of spending bills presently under consideration. Prior to the attacks, the Department of Defense was heavily engaged in a Quadrennial Defense Review of future requirements. But Wolfowitz said while future needs may not change, “there also will be some huge requirements to build up our military for the next year.”
The fight against terrorism must be broad to root out the support systems and sanctuaries that states and others may be providing, Wolfowitz said. He said he expects the US will seek international assistance in this mission from its allies, Russia, as well as nations in the Middle East and Persian Gulf region that have expressed support.
By Kim Burger, JDW Staff Reporter Washington DC
The US Congress is expected as early as 13 September to approve $20 billion in emergency funding to help the US respond to terrorist attacks that killed thousands.
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the funding requested by President George Bush would help ready US armed forces for a possible retaliatory strike, but stated it would be just a “downpayment” towards a broad campaign against terrorism.
“One thing, it’s clear, is that you don’t do it with just a single military strike, you don’t do it with just military forces alone. You do it with the full resources of the US government. It will be a campaign, not a single action,” Wolfowitz said 13 September.
“$20 billion is a lot of money, but for this country it is just a downpayment.”
The supplemental funding request would cover some costs of the massive search and recovery efforts under way at the site of terrorist attacks this week at the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The funds will also pay other costs including rebuilding the Pentagon and to support combat air patrols of US skies.
A “significant piece” of the total will also go toward bringing the military to “the highest level of preparedness” to act as ordered by the president, Wolfowitz said. The money would fund the costs of readying fuel and other logistics needs, operational costs, force protection measures and intelligence.
Wolfowitz said he anticipates Congress also will be supportive of increasing funding as needed in Fiscal Year 2002, which is the subject of spending bills presently under consideration. Prior to the attacks, the Department of Defense was heavily engaged in a Quadrennial Defense Review of future requirements. But Wolfowitz said while future needs may not change, “there also will be some huge requirements to build up our military for the next year.”
The fight against terrorism must be broad to root out the support systems and sanctuaries that states and others may be providing, Wolfowitz said. He said he expects the US will seek international assistance in this mission from its allies, Russia, as well as nations in the Middle East and Persian Gulf region that have expressed support.
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