Funding the war

Re “Gates warns of layoffs without war funding from Congress,” Nov. 16

In this article, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is cited as saying that the Defense Department has authority to transfer only $3.7 billion, which would only fund the Iraq war for a week. The secretary is being too clever. In addition to the general transfer authority to which he refers, the department has received $140 billion in funding for operations and maintenance.

Most of the cost of operating forces in Iraq consists of funds for operations and maintenance. Most of those funds are not covered by the limit on general transfer authority and can be moved from one activity to another without requiring notification to or approval of the Congress.

In fact, that is how the department has funded the Iraq war every year since the first year, while waiting for supplemental funding. The Department of Defense did it then; it can do it now. Gates has plenty of flexibility, especially at the beginning of a new fiscal year.

Gordon Adams

Professor of

international relations

American University

Washington

The writer was associate director for national security and international affairs at the White House Office of Management and Budget, 1993-97.