Robert C. Byrd: “The American people are entitled to know what these estimates are, and that is what we are asking.”

In closing, may I say that the President's request includes $658 million for construction of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

I will also ensure that the OIG pursues aggressive oversight of contracting issues.

Doesn't this send a signal to the Iraqi people and to the American people that the United States intends to have a large permanent presence there?

the same situation that obtained prior to the entry of the war with Iraq might, in some respects, lend itself to a repeat in the case of Syria and/or Iran.