[lbo-talk] war costs: over $700b

[Doug Henwood]

[Larry Lindsey got fired for saying that the Iraq war would cost  
$100b. He was wrong - it's costing many times that! - it works out to  
$6,500 per household so far (assuming the 2008 request is honored)]

<http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/89xx/doc8971/02-11-WarCosts_Letter.pdf>

[...]

The United States began combat operations in Afghanistan in fiscal  
year 2002 and in Iraq in fiscal year 2003. To finance those  
operations (and other activities related to the war on terrorism),  
the Congress provided $18 billion and $76 billion in emergency  
appropriations in those years, respectively. With the exception of a  
slight decrease in 2004, to $74 billion, funding has increased  
steadily each year, to a total of $165 billion for 2007. If the  
Administration's request for 2008 is funded in full, appropriations  
for military operations and other war-related activities in Iraq,  
Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the war on terrorism will rise to $188  
billion this year and to a cumula- tive total of $752 billion since  
2001.

[...]