Mon Aug 30, 5:38 PM ET
WASHINGTON - The State Department is considering whether $3.34 billion intended for public works projects in Iraq (news - web sites) should be used instead to bolster security, a State Department official said Monday.
he money would be part of $18.4 billion Congress approved last year for rebuilding Iraq. Though the Bush administration said then that the money was needed urgently, little has been spent because of bureaucratic delays and security problems.
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte, has recommended to State Department officials that the $3.34 billion be reallocated from water, sewage and electricity projects. If security is improved, oil production could be increased, eventually making more money available for reconstruction, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Negroponte seeks to add 45,000 police, 16,000 border guards and 20 new national guard battalions of 700 to 800 men each.