$2b a week

[SHRED]

A billion here and a billion there then first thing you know, you are talking about some real money.

Of course any talk of spending money on our own citizens gets you labeled a "Socialist".

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Cost of Iraq war nearly $2b a week

By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff | September 28, 2006

WASHINGTON -- A new congressional analysis shows the Iraq war is now costing taxpayers almost $2 billion a week -- nearly twice as much as in the first year of the conflict three years ago and 20 percent more than last year -- as the Pentagon spends more on establishing regional bases to support the extended deployment and scrambles to fix or replace equipment damaged in combat.

The upsurge occurs as the total cost of military operations at home and abroad since 2001, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will top half a trillion dollars, according to an internal assessment by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service completed last week.

The spike in operating costs -- including a 20 percent increase over last year in Afghanistan, where the mission now costs about $370 million a week -- comes even though troop levels in both countries have remained stable. The reports attribute the rising costs in part to a higher pace of fighting in both countries, where insurgents and terrorists have increased their attacks on US and coalition troops and civilians.

Another major factor, however, is ``the building of more extensive infrastructure to support troops and equipment in and around Iraq and Afghanistan," according to the report. Based on Defense Department data, the report suggests that the construction of so-called semi-permanent support bases has picked up in recent months, making it increasingly clear that the US military will have a presence in both countries for years to come.

MORE:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2006/09/28/cost_of_iraq_war_nearly_2b_a_week/

[rodeodance]

1. and still there is no REAL outrage

[SHRED]

2. not even a burp

[Toots]

3. There are 10080 minutes in a week,..$200,000.00 per minute

My God that is even more than Exxon Mobile second quarter profits of $70,000.00 per minute.. and yet it is only a small fraction of what our current true National Deficit is which is only a tiny fraction of what our National Debt is. We are paying more in interest on our debt than we are spending in Iraq... Think if we had continued on the Clinton budgets and plan. We would have all that money to use on americans instead...