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Estimates of Iraq War Cost Were Not Close to Ballpark
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DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
The New York Times
March 19, 2008
WASHINGTON — At the outset of the Iraq war, the Bush administration predicted that it would cost $50 billion to $60 billion to oust Saddam Hussein, restore order and install a new government.
Five years in, the Pentagon tags the cost of the Iraq war at roughly $600 billion and counting. Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning economist and critic of the war, pegs the long-term cost at more than $4 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office and other analysts say that $1 trillion to $2 trillion is more realistic, depending on troop levels and on how long the American occupation continues.
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Among economists and policymakers, the question of how to tally the cost of the war is a matter of hot dispute. And the costs continue to climb.
Congressional Democrats fiercely criticize the White House over war expenditures. But it is virtually certain that the Democrats will provide tens of billions more in a military spending bill next month. Some Democrats are even arguing against attaching strings, like a deadline for withdrawal, saying the tactic will fail as it has in the past.
All of the war-price tallies include operations in the war zone, support for troops, repair or replacement of equipment, reservists’ salaries, special combat pay for regular forces and some care for wounded veterans — expenses that typically fall outside the regular Defense Department or Veterans Affairs budgets.
The highest estimates often include projections for future operations, long-term health care and disability costs for veterans, a portion of the regular, annual defense budget, and, in some cases, wider economic effects, including a percentage of higher oil prices and the impact of raising the national debt to cover increased war spending.
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March 19th, 2008 at 5:40 am
If the CEO of a company(the goverment) makes such a huge mistake, the directors board (the country) would fire him immidiately.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Ya but your forgetting. The CEO’s of this country (Bush, Cheney) have strong ties, especially cheney, to the other companies that are making a profit off of us. (Haliburton)
March 19th, 2008 at 7:17 am
hope all the soliders wives cheat on then with their best friend, and their children forget them
March 19th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Information Clearing House pegs the war tab at $500 trillion and gives a breakdown by state and district. 500 TRILLION DOLLARS!! We might as well just dropped one of those mother of all hyperbaric bombs Iraq. It would have been a lot cheaper.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Indiana Governor, Mitch “The Blade” Daniels was the head of The White House Budget department that made the claim $60 billion would cover the cost of the Iraq War. He is scum. He sold the Indiana Toll Road to Centra for $37 billion, they will collect taxes on the toll road for the next 75 years. Daniels is a twit of the highest order.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I’m glad we Americans don’t have to pay that bill big banks corporations members CFR former Trilateral comm club of rome Bilderberg group kissenger rockefeller roth child sure acts like one moron, all these idiots think were paying there nuts If we shut all imports from China down they will collapse any monoply they have with corporations they will not be allowed to sell there products here,they will be in prison anyway they commited treason.the question when will the people have enough,Ithink they have if they start something we have to finish all of it.Clean DC out too.
March 19th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Projected total cost of the War in Iraq: $3-$5 Trillion Dollars
Population of the United States: 303,667,209
Price of a new electric car: $30,000
Price of a new solar powered car: $25,000
Amount of solar powered cars you could buy with $5 trillion dollars: 200 million
I’m not really for solar powered cars, but I did think it was funny how our government could have easily switched over this whole country to a new technology and highly decrease our demand for oil for the same price tag as the War in Iraq.