“There has been a lot of talk in Washington about refashioning Iraq into a prosperous, tolerant democracy that can serve as a model for the Middle East. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much plain speaking about how much that is going to cost. That’s because the honest answer isn’t something American taxpayers want to hear. The hard numbers just don’t support the White House’s rosy claim that once this year’s American aid package of $2.5 billion is paid out, Iraq’s oil sales will pay all the bills.” NY Times editorial