Funding For Iraq, Afghanistan To Surge Between 75-100 Billion

[Nbadan]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration, facing mounting violence in Iraq (news - web sites) and demands for upgraded equipment, is assembling a funding package for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan (news - web sites) that could surge beyond earlier estimates to as much as $75 billion to $100 billion, congressional sources and experts said on Thursday.

~snip~

The Army's request alone could top $51 billion, far more than the $35 billion to $40 billion cited by the Army chief of staff in October, congressional sources said.

The Marines are also expected to push for billions of dollars more as the Pentagon (news - web sites) increases troop strength for Iraqi elections scheduled for January.

~snip~

Officials said rising fuel costs would add $3 billion or more to next year's price tag. World oil prices have skyrocketed since the start of the year, in part because of the turmoil in Iraq.

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What if we had spent $250 billion dollars to rebuild Iraq instead of destroy it? How many schools would that kinda money have paid for back home?

I wonder how much in added taxes Chevron, Halliburton, and UniCal are paying to 'liberate' the Middle East oil? Eh, who cares? On to the Caspien Sea!

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

What do you think we're spending money on over there right now? I know it's hard to fathom that we're doing good things over there for the liberals out there, but the whole gloom and doom bull is all that sells papers/commercial time.

How many schools would that kinda money have paid for back home?

Last I heard Kerry still had 5 mill in his war chest, why don't you ask him to build a school or 50?

[exstatic]

Another deflection to a Democrat, and a terrible analogy. Do you have any other post besides "Oh yeah? Well Democrat A did....."?

$5mil <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<$100bil

We're talking orders of magnitude here. Forget the same ballpark, they're not in the same universe.

Take my word for it: in 5 years when Iraq is the new Afghanistan, everyone will acknowledge this as money down the sewer. What a waste.