US Ambassador says Funding Could Be Cut for Iraq's Police
By VOA News 30 September 2006

Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, says the United States may cut funding for Iraq's police because of their failure to punish those responsible for torture.

Khalilzad said in an interview with The New York Times that U.S. officials are reviewing some programs because of a U.S. law that bans funding security forces that violate human rights.

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Two comments on this.

First, isn't it US policy to stand down when Iraqis stand up? Clearly they aren't.

Second, if the Administration engages in torture under the law passed by Congress Friday, could this be the basis of a lawsuit to block funding for our presence in Iraq?

In other words, the U. S. government appears to be engaged in double standards. -- Paul E. Schroeder