Iraq costs are $119.4 billion and rising; lawmakers ponder how money might have been spent

By Alan Fram, Associated Press, 6/1/2004 14:11

 

Boston Globe Link

 

WASHINGTON (AP) 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.

Let's ask George Dubya,

 

What's your freedom worth?

George W. Bush said Iraqi oil would pay for the war effort. Oops. There's another lie.

 

An MrEye, I guess I missed the memo where Saddam had any WMD and was even slightly able to attack the US. Or how about the memo where he was working with Al Qaeda.

 

If anything, this war has made us less safe because Al Qaeda has had over 18,000+ new applicants according to a new non-partisan research project.

What's your freedom worth?

Thank God all the terrorists were in Iraq and we don't have anything to worry about.

 

Where would the money have been better spent, $50,000,000,000 domestically to stop attacks at the source or in one small location (Iraq)? There are terrorist all over the globe, including right here, who want to come to the US and commit crimes. Instead of spending all that man power, money, and energy in one place, why not use it for domestic security?

 

We do not have an unlimted budget to fight terrorism. Just look at the history of the USSR. Remember, we forced them to spend into oblivion, at least that what Reagan fans will tell us.

 

$100 billion + and still rising, hundreds dead, for Hussein and a small batch of sarin gas.