Mind-boggling Iraq war tab

Published November 19, 2004 3:03PM (EST)

Read about those Pentagon estimates that suggest the war in Iraq is costing $4 billion a month? Well, add another 50 percent to arrive at the real price tag. That, according to UPI, which reports the permanent war in Iraq is costing the U.S. just under $6 billion every month, or $200 million each day. Relying on information provided by top military generals, UPI reports that the Army alone is spending $4.7 billion a month, "while the Air Force is spending $800 million a month transporting soldiers and flying combat missions. The Marine Corps is spending $300 million a month, the four service chiefs told the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday. Since 2003, the Pentagon has received some $160 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in supplemental funding -- that is, in addition to its annual budget. It will be requesting another multibillion-dollar supplement early next year to cover the continuing cost of the war."


By Eric Boehlert

Eric Boehlert, a former senior writer for Salon, is the author of "Lapdogs: How the Press Rolled Over for Bush."

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