War costs have doubled since invasion of Iraq

[rawstory]

RAW STORY

War costs have nearly doubled since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to a story set for Thursday's Washington Post, RAW STORY has learned. Excerpts from the article by Jonathan Weisman:

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With the expected passage this spring of the largest emergency spending bill in history, annual war expenditures in Iraq will have nearly doubled since the U.S. invasion, as the military confronts the rapidly escalating cost of repairing, rebuilding and replacing equipment chewed up by three years of combat. The cost of the war in U.S. fatalities has declined this year, but the cost in treasure continues to rise, from $48 billion in 2003 to $59 billion in 2004 to $81 billion in 2005 to an anticipated $94 billion in 2006, according to the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.

The U.S. government is now spending nearly $10 billion a month in Iraq and Afghanistan, up from $8.2 billion a year ago, a new Congressional Research Service report found. Annual war costs in Iraq are easily outpacing the $61 billion a year that the United States spent in Vietnam between 1964 and 1972, in today's dollars.

The invasion's "shock and awe" of high-tech laser-guided bombs, cruise missiles and stealth aircraft has long faded, but the costs of even those early months are just coming into view as the military confronts equipment repair and rebuilding costs it has avoided and procurement costs it never expected.

MORE: http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/War_costs_doubled_since_invasion_of_0419.html

[bemildred]

1. Gee, who could have predicted this? nt

[Oversea Visitor]

2. Super embassy

and 14 super bases cannot run on fresh air and water :rofl:

[cal04]

3. Military Fights to Keep Tanks and Guns Working in Iraq

War Bill Escalates With Unforeseen Costs of Fixing or Replacing Materiel

By Jonathan Weisman


With the expected passage this spring of the largest emergency spending bill in history, annual war expenditures in Iraq will have nearly doubled since the U.S. invasion, as the military confronts the rapidly escalating cost of repairing, rebuilding and replacing equipment chewed up by three years of combat.

The cost of the war in U.S. fatalities has declined this year, but the cost in treasure continues to rise, from $48 billion in 2003 to $59 billion in 2004 to $81 billion in 2005 to an anticipated $94 billion in 2006, according to the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. The U.S. government is now spending nearly $10 billion a month in Iraq and Afghanistan, up from $8.2 billion a year ago, a new Congressional Research Service report found.

Annual war costs in Iraq are easily outpacing the $61 billion a year that the United States spent in Vietnam between 1964 and 1972, in today's dollars. The invasion's "shock and awe" of high-tech laser-guided bombs, cruise missiles and stealth aircraft has long faded, but the costs of even those early months are just coming into view as the military confronts equipment repair and rebuilding costs it has avoided and procurement costs it never expected.

"We did not predict early on that we would have the number of electronic jammers that we've got. We did not predict we'd have as many armored vehicles that we have, nor did we have a good prediction about what our battle losses would be," Army Chief of Staff Peter J. Schoomaker recently told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/19/AR2006041902594.html

[saigon68]

4. Army Chief of Staff Peter J. Schoomaker

Thug and War Criminal. Doesn't give a shit about the people being blown to bits daily His or the "enemy" (that's children, women & old men)

[Blue_Tires]

5. i changed the headline

"Halliburton stock price has increased 100-fold since invasion of Iraq"

[Bigmack]

6. Hey... War is expensive.

Gas is expensive, too. If we can't afford gas, maybe we should cut back on our driving.

If we can't afford wars, maybe we should just cut back on trying to conquer the world.