Will there be a "Bush Plan" to get Iraq out of its currently troubled situation and back on its feet?
[Iraq Prime Minister Ibrahim al-] Jaafari pressed for a long-term U.S. commitment for assistance to help with reconstruction and debt relief.
"We hope that Mr. Bush will try to redo a Marshall Plan, calling it the Bush plan, to help Iraq, to help the Iraqi people. And this would be a very wonderful step that they stand beside us," he said. He was referring to the U.S. investment plan for helping rebuild Europe after World War Two.
What does the White House think of that idea? From today's press briefing by Press Secretary Scott McClellan:
Q The Prime Minister talked about perhaps a Bush Plan, likening it to the Marshall Plan that helped rebuild Europe after World War II. And when the President was asked about reconstruction, he said of course, the U.S. is devoting resources, but the job belongs to the Iraqi people. Is there a different outlook between the Iraq Prime Minister and the President about the building of infrastructure?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I'll let him talk further about what he was talking about. But if you'll recall, there was an international conference earlier this week, more than 80 nations coming together to show their strong support for the Iraqi people. The international community is standing with the Iraqi people, and they talked about in their meetings -- both in the Oval Office and in the residence during the lunch -- about the importance of the international community continuing to support the Iraqi people and the transitional government as they move forward on this historic transformation that is taking place. And we've been, as the Prime Minister pointed out, providing tremendous support from the United States for the Iraqi people.
One issue that I imagine will continue to come up is the issue of debt relief. And there's a donor's conference coming up in Jordan here shortly, as the President talked about. So I think you're seeing that the international community is sending a strong message of support for the transitional government and for the Iraqi people. There are a number that have come forward with commitments, there are a number that have made commitments -- and we hope that they will move forward quickly to fulfill those commitments, because it's vital that we continue to stand with the Iraqi people as they move forward to meet their political objectives, which they are doing. The President talked about that.
As best I can figure, that's a longwinded, polite brush off. He said, is essence, 'Others are taking care of it.' So Iraqis should not expect much leadership from the Bush administration on this issue.
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