Higher-income

Nov. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Higher-income Americans should be taxed to pay for more troops sent to Afghanistan and NATO should provide half of the new soldiers, said Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

An additional income tax to the upper brackets, folks earning more than $200,000 or $250,000 a year, could fund more troops, Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said in an interview for Bloomberg Televisions Political Capital With Al Hunt, airing this weekend.

White House Budget Director Peter Orszag has estimated that each additional soldier in Afghanistan could cost $1 million, for a total that could reach $40 billion if 40,000 more troops are added.

That cost, Levin said, should be paid by wealthier taxpayers. They have done incredibly well, and I think that its important that we pay for it if we possibly can instead of increasing the federal debt load, the senator said.

Other countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization should bear responsibility for delivering half the additional troops needed to secure the conflict zone and train Afghan forces, Levin said. He didnt predict how many troops President Barack Obama would add.

Levin also said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who has faced calls for his resignation from Republicans in Congress, should stay as long as he has Obamas confidence. The six-term senator said the administration was right to move the prosecution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, to federal court in New York from a military commission in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Troop Decision Near

On Afghanistan, Obama may decide within a few weeks whether to grant a request from the top commander in the field, General Stanley McChrystal, for 40,000 more troops to fight the Taliban, which harbored al-Qaeda before being toppled in the invasion following the Sept. 11 attacks. The U.S. contributes about 70,000 of the 110,000 foreign forces waging the Afghan war.

Levin, who has supported adding U.S. troops to the war mainly to train the Afghan army and police to assume more responsibilities, said he might back an increase closer to 40,000 under certain conditions. These include the proportion that would be used for training, a plan for preparing enough Afghan troops and a major program to provide equipment to their forces.

Theres a lot of other things involved in showing resolve beside just a troop level, Levin said. A key element to gain support will be that whatever is announced, it be part of a NATO-Afghan initiative, he said.

Conditions on Aid

The U.S. also should place conditions on aid that goes through Afghan President Hamid Karzais government to ensure that he cooperates in fighting corruption, Levin said. Karzai won re-election by default when his main challenger dropped out of a planned runoff after the first balloting in August was marred by allegations of fraud.

Levin said that while he wanted to be hopeful that Karzai would take steps to weed out corruption, Im also skeptical.

Levin, 75, commended Pakistans leaders for turning more of their attention from their conflict with India to the Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters sheltering near the other border with Afghanistan. Pakistans army and its citizens have taken some very severe losses in fighting the militants, he said.

Theyve got a way to go, Levin said.

He also praised India, saying leaders had shown restraint in dealing with fanatics who crossed over the border from Pakistan.

On the economy, Levin said Geithner has been very helpful on finding ways to support automakers to preserve the industry.

Tighter Regulations

The broader financial crisis has demonstrated the need for tightening regulations on Wall Street, Levin said. He called the Obama administrations recommendations on this issue very significant.

I think the failure to move forward on those reforms in the Senate is the Republican resistance to some of those proposed reforms from the administration, not Democratic resistance, Levin said.

He also praised proposals for changes from Connecticut Democrat Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.

Dodd has put forth a very significant reform of Wall Street, Levin said. It is long overdue.

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• war

[Admire]

The cost and who pays isn't what bothers me. The blood of soldiers is my problem.

I have several friends who have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq and they say that Afghanistan makes much less sense than Iraq before the local people in Afghanistan because they really don't want us there. The media makes things look like the local population dislikes the taleban but according to the soldiers I speak too, that is unfortunately not the case.

[johnnyb34434]

thats one of the problems people in Afghanistan don't want us their we are the outsiders we are the enemy the best thing we can do is get out of their and let them handle their own affairs.

[Admire]

I am just a opposed to this war as you are. And I actually think that NATO should play any part in these wars. NATO country's should't have to lose soldiers whenever the US wants to start wars.

But IF you increase soldiers, you have to pay more taxes. As a european through, it seems weird to me that its more acceptable to discuss tax increases because of war than because of health care.

[johnnyb34434]

you got it all wrong about nato the u.s. pays 75% of NATO's budget so we are really paying 100% of this U.N. police action and spilling 75% of the blood and the sheep fall for it every time.

[skippercheckers]

Hey! Budd --Next time your taken a ton of crap out of yeah! Just think of hitting the salad bar --next time at Burger King! ----

[galacticwacko]

got that video up... its the DeathCHIP video... You are towards the end giving a rant with a 1984 background... its at the top of my channel. Good work..

[DarthAnonymous1]

Hey, Ham Sandwich, I thought I told you to stop making videos, you deaf or illiterate?