Kosovo war was cheap, say some

[Max B. Sawicky]

[This estimates are lower by an order of 10 from the ones I'm used to.  
Is there budgetary ledgerdemain afoot?  Are these oft-cited institutes
untrustworthy on such questions? Or are the numbers that have normally
been bandied around for the war's cost (half a billion a day) just
oft-repeated nonsense?  The estimates below for Kosovan rebuilding costs
are also very low.]

[Also, what does "already scheduled defense spending" mean?  Does that
cover basically everything except the actual bombs that were set off and
the extra gas we used?]

Michael

   By DAVID R. FRANCIS

   

   (July 23, 1999 11:05 a.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - As wars go,

   the NATO victory in war over Kosovo was cheap. "A walk in the park,"

   says Gordon Adams, deputy director of the International Institute for

   Strategic Studies in London.
>>

Gordon Adams has been a reliable authority on defense spending.

The Gov has an interest in inflating the cost moderately,
so they can get reimbursed for stuff they never spent.
Kind of like Webb Hubbell's billing practices.  Inflate
too much, however, and people get suspicious.

'Already scheduled' means spending already approved by
Congress, and 'obligated' for actual planned purchases.

mbs