The Iraq Tab = $300 billion

news source

WASHINGTON - U.S. President George W. Bush will ask Congress for another $80 billion for the war in Iraq, bringing the price tag for that invasion and ongoing operations in Afghanistan close to $300 billion, six times the original White House estimate.

The total is well beyond the estimate of $200 billion (U.S.) put forward by onetime White House economic adviser Larry Lindsey — subsequently dismissed for his forecast — and is the number Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld once derided as "baloney" on network television.

Bush's request, which Congress is expected to approve next month, came five days before Sunday's watershed Iraqi elections, amidst reports that at least 120,000 Americans will remain there through the end of next year.

The White House said $75 billion of the $80 billion will go directly to military operations in Iraq, raising this year's total to $105 billion for a war that was already costing $5 billion per month.

It also conceded the spiralling costs were the result of an Iraqi insurgency that has surpassed all U.S. estimates in its size and commitment.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now costing almost half the $623 billion the U.S. spent during the entire 14-year Vietnam War, when adjusted to 2005 dollars.

While the cost of the war escalated, Democrats in the U.S. Senate took advantage of a day-long debate on the confirmation of Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice to signal they will vigorously oppose Bush's foreign policy in a second term, despite their reduced ranks following November's election.

yeah, $300bill...

SO FAR.

how many buckets of blood i wonder.

mmmm baloney.

Originally posted by <KEY3>@Jan 26 2005, 03:37 PM

It also conceded the spiralling costs were the result of an Iraqi insurgency that has surpassed all U.S. estimates in its size and commitment.

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amazing what arrogance does to vision.

Does anyone think that even the most successful outcome possible for Iraq would be worth $300 billion dollars?

We are currently over half the cost of WWI and over half the cost of the Vietnam war, inflation adjusted.

I'm watching this white house press briefing.... I'm trying not to laugh. It seems there is alot more animosity between Bush and the white house press. He is not even understanding some of the questions they are throwing at him, and his answers are pretty much sameo sameo....

I can't believe this guy is running the country.

imagine what you could do with 300billion!!

the possibilities are endless!

maybe I'm totally wrong here,

but with 300 Billion (cue Dr. Evil Pinky) you probably could:

- find a cure to aids and if not, provide medicines needed to everyone with the virus.

- do some debt relief and kickstart the world's economy

- perfect some type of eco-friendly energy source. 300bil is a lot of wind turbines.

- do restitutions for slavery and pay the First nations what their land was worth.

- or I could build the finest harem of all time! Jessica Alba included.

I bet that 300 billion could have been used to help develop alternative fuel sources that would help alleviate our dependency on oil....foreign or domestic.

I forget who but a democrat said that 300 billion could pay our childrens immunizations for the next 50 years.

300 Billion could pimp my ride beyond all pimped rides.

^^or get you very drunk for a very long time.

An interesting figure I heard was that the war in Iraq has cost every person in America $1,000 That's counting all the babies and the people that don't pay taxes.

AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!

Originally posted by wiseguy@Jan 28 2005, 01:39 AM

AMERICA, FUCK YEAH!

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haha thats awesome...

id buy an army of trained monkeys that fling poo at everyone except for me..

$300 billion? i'd try to take over a county that had a ton of oil....

oh wait..

And we havent even begun rebuilding yet have we.

Stability in Iraq isnt worth 1 american life or 1 american dollar

let the Iraqis clean up their own act