Costs for Iraq War Eat Into U.S. Deficits

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON -- Even by Washington standards, the $119.4 billion that President Bush and Congress have provided for the first two years of the war in Iraq is real money.

Though a tiny fraction of overall federal spending, the figure is huge in other ways. It dwarfs the $100 million that could hire 2,500 more airport security screeners, the $500 million that could add 69,400 more children to Head Start, the $1 billion that would let 160,000 more low-income families keep federal rent subsidies, Senate Democrats say. Or it could reduce the runaway federal deficit.

The $119.4 billion total, compiled by the White House Office of Management and Budget, is the administration's most comprehensive tally of the war's financial costs so far. Of the total, $97.2 billion has been for military operations, $21.2 billion for rebuilding Iraq's economy and government, and $1 billion for U.S. administrative expenses there.

Congress approved the money over the past year-and-a-half with overwhelming votes, and few lawmakers doubt its need. But many of them say it soaks up dollars that other parts of the $2.4 trillion budget could use, from education initiatives to tax cuts and more.

more..........

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-iraq-paying-the-bill,0,756967.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Beetwasher]

1. Oooh Great Article!

I love that they put the money in perspective as to what other things could be bought for it!

[gratuitous]

2. Quibble

And I know it's the headline, and not anything Khephra wrote, but the war costs don't "eat into" the deficit -- they produce it, sustain it, encourage it, and enlarge it. The deficit would be "eaten into" if we were to do something like, say, tax the overrich.

[UpInArms]

3. the war will swallow our money and our children's lives

without blinking.

The maladministration does not care how much they bankrupt this country and its future so long as they can continue to be the recipients, either through power or dollars.

[BeyondGeography]

4. Why don't we just burn money next time?

This is not what the corp-o-crats would call good ROI:

<By the time the final Iraq figure for 2005 is in, American spending there could easily exceed $160 billion for 2003 through 2005. That would nearly double the combined costs -- in today's dollars -- of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.>

Not that they really give a shit about any real returns, other than the ones that line their personal pockets or pump up their overblown egos.

[cliss]

5. I'm not sure I believe this article.

I have read figures of $192 billion. I've tried to follow this ballooning amounts for several months now. It's really hard because they try to hide it.

Also, the Department of Defense has insisted on 'carte blanche'; meaning, they do not want to itemize their spending; hence the mercenaries -- CACI, Titan, Blackwater and others.

I think this figure is underestimated.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. "Eat into deficits?".....Noooooo....

They add to negative surpluses.

Big, big difference.

[Just Me]

8. Yup. Pretty freakin' hilarious that they would "eat" into deficits.

Pretty freakin' weird, too. Rather than "being" a deficit, they are "eating" the deficit.

Kinda' makes one wonder; from what planet do the "minds" operate that they would create a headline so,...ummmm,...irrational.

<on edit - can I EAT into these deficits, too? Sounds very profitable to EAT such savory appetites. *snort and huff*>

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. Newsday needs some editorial control.

[underpants]

7. Is this LBN?

Didn't we already know this :bounce: ?......BEFORE the war started :grr:?

[the Kelly Gang]

10. Imagine that money spent in the third world..America would

have so many allies amongst people that terrorists would be starved of political oxygen .

[xchrom]

11. pathetic isn't it?

in addition, duers should be patting each other on the back for figuring this stuff out before the war -- let me say congrats to all.
now let me add my personal war cry -- where are the fuckin weapons of mass destruction -- for all the dead people and all that damn money -- shouldn't there be weapons of mass destruction?

[Rocket Science]

13. WMD? Hell we didn't even get cheaper gas!

Other cost of the war include:

800+ dead US GIs
4500 injured US GIs
1000s of innocent Iraqis dead
Alienated/ hostile Arab world.
Severely fractured relations with Europe.

Yes, xchrom this is so pathetic!

Its encouraging that the news is starting
to at least consider the opportunity costs of
spending billions on Iraq: there is a clear
trade off.

[struggle4progress]

12. Borrow and Spend! Borrow and Spend! Borrow and Spend!

Red ink! Red ink! Borrow and Spend!

[rfkrocks]

14. Dirty Rat Rethug Bastards

I am sorry thats all I can say