Bush's Iraq plan costs begins to balloon

[babylonsister]

Day-old news, but I hadn't seen it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070309/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/iraq_bigger_buildup

Bush's Iraq plan costs begins to balloon

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer Fri Mar 9, 4:37 PM ET

WASHINGTON -
President Bush's troop buildup in Baghdad apparently will be bigger and more costly — and perhaps last longer — than it seemed when he unveiled the plan in January as the centerpiece of a new
Iraq strategy.


U.S. officials say it's too early to tell whether the troop reinforcements will succeed in containing the sectarian and insurgent violence, but it looks as though the
Pentagon is preparing for an expanded commitment — assuming that by summer there are solid signs that the extra effort is yielding significant results.

The Bush plan called for sending 21,500 extra U.S. combat troops to Iraq — mainly to Baghdad — with the last of five brigades arriving by June. The estimated price tag was $5.6 billion. Officials have refused to say exactly how long it would last, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates had suggested that it could be over by fall.

In recent days a different picture has emerged.

The total number of troops required for the plan, while still uncertain, is climbing. When Bush announced the boost of 21,500 combat troops, the Pentagon said still others would be required to go with them in support roles. Its initial estimate of 2,400 support troops has doubled and may go higher still.

The cost also is rising. Administration officials conferred with lawmakers this week about an extra $1 billion, on top of the original $5.6 billion. The actual cost depends on how long the troop reinforcement is sustained.

When asked about the duration of the buildup, Gates has noted that funds for this purpose are only budgeted through September, which marks the end of the government's budget year. This week, however, it was disclosed that Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, a top commander in Iraq, has recommended that the buildup stretch into 2008.

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[Monkeyman]

1. How many more will he send into the sand pit of hell

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. And they aren't finding any "insurgents" either.

There was a big fat fake story yesterday about how they snared Abu-A-Bobo, but today they admit that they didn't.

[Dhalgren]

3. Bush has no intention of telling, nor reason to tell, the truth about anything.

He doesn't have to tell the truth nor explain what his real plans are, because he has a blank check to do as he pleases. Who will stop him? The congress? That is a joke. The "people"? What "people"? The American people? You have to be kidding. The American people don't care about Iraq nor the American troops nor the Iraqi people. If you ask an American what they think, they will tell you that the war is bad and we should pull out, and then that particular beautiful mind moves on to something else. Something less complicated and "hard". Nobody gives two shits about this war, and the congress' inaction proves it. The only thing that Democrats want is to be seen as being on the "right" side of the "debate", not actually doing anything about it. Don't you see? If this war continues and gets worse the Democrats will win big in '08 - and that's all that matters! :puke:

[teryang]

5. Bullseye!

And that's the way it is!

[ninkasi]

4. I figure that the chances

that either Bush or Cheney will ever tell the truth is roughly the same as my chances to win every state lottery in the next couple of weeks.