92,000 additional troops 'could' cost $15 billion annually...

[Earth_First]

WASHINGTON - At a briefing to add details about President Bush's new Iraq strategy, Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday said he would recommend increasing the Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 troops over the next five years.

The cost of the troop increase would be enormous. The Army estimates that each additional 10,000 soldiers costs it about $1.2 billion a year. That does not include the cost of equipment needed for the additional soldiers.

Including indirect costs, such as equipment, the troop increase could add $15 billion or more to the annual defense budget, some analysts estimated.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16576547

How do we plan on paying for this? :shrug:

[BOSSHOG]

1. Paying for it is no problem

Just give the top one percent another big tax cut. And besides, deficits don't matter, reagan proved it, according to cheney.

The republicans say government doesn't work. They got elected and proved it.

[Little Wing]

2. 15 billion? That's cheap

[Earth_First]

3. kick! n/t