Paying the bill for Iraq rebuilding

By now, no one ought to be surprised by President Bush's request that Congress provide $87 billion for U.S. ventures in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has been clear for a while that stabilizing and rebuilding those countries will be a good deal more costly than the US$79 billion that Congress approved in April.

Congress should provide the money that Bush is requesting. But it also should not hand over a blank check.

In the interests of Middle Eastern and world security, and for humanitarian reasons, the United States must succeed in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is up to the Bush administration to encourage U.N. participation in both endeavors. And it is up to a fully informed Congress to pay America's part of the bill.

-- South Bend Tribune, South Bend, Indiana