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The debate on the War on Iraq is surrounded on policy and statistics. As President Bush continues to defend his stragey of the war, the unasnwered question remains on the source of war funds to continue our presence in Iraq.

President Bush took the stage today to defend the current status of the War on Iraq. He was less confrontational to Congress than he was before, and his criticism to war critics has been surprisingly more conciliatory. The President took time to praise General Petraeus for his evaluation and leadership in the War on Iraq and emphasized the importance of being victorious against destabilizing violence in the war torn country.

Many liberal critics would dispute the statistics that both the General and the President have used to back up the “progress” claim in Iraq. Rightwing supporters would underscore the devastating consequences of withdrawing the troops. However, my concern comes from the missing part of the President’s speech. It is a question that poses a great challenge to a supposedly fiscally conservative leader. Where would the fund come from to support our efforts in Iraq?

The loyal conservative base would agree that it would be catastrophic if we leave Iraq without achieving victory. However, fiscal responsibility of the government is one of the key components of conservative’s belief. The continuous efforts in Iraq are costing the federal government billions of dollars per year, and it has been an unforgiving bloat in our federal budget. However, the President is reluctant to raise taxes to cover this long term externality and instead wants to increase tax breaks for people, so that Americans can spend more to fuel the gloomy economy.

I am not accusing the President for being fiscally irresponsible, but he never offered an answer to the cost of the War on Iraq. Where is the money coming from? The President does not believe in raising taxes, one of the core incomes for the federal government. Then should the federal government keep the cost of the war on a separate deficit account, so that the future generations can pay it off later when we have a budget surplus?

We are currently in more debt than we ever have been in history, and the continuous trend of Congress increasing the U.S. debt ceiling cannot possibly go forever. If President Bush believes that the War on Iraq is a critical interest to our country, then it is demanded by the circumstance that he at least have a successful fiscal plan to fund the war. So far I have not received an adequate response to the issue.

Our troops need the best equipment to accomplish their mission in Iraq, and having a definite plan on funding the war in the long term is critical to send a deterring message to insurgents that United States has the resources to do whatever it takes to restore stability in Iraq. I wish that the President can resolve this fundamental issue before moving on to other matters.