Wednesday, October 24, 2007

I said I want my money back.

From Enron, from Blackwater, from Cheney and Halliburton, from Georgie and his war debacles:
Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The total cost of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could reach $2.4 trillion by 2017, according to a Congressional report released Wednesday. Put into perspective, that amounts to approximately $8,000 per current American citizen, including those born today, or $21,500 per American household.

The Congressional Budget Office, a government agency that provides non-partisan budget analysis for the US Congress, compiled the figures.

The money includes $604 billion already spent on the conflicts, CBO Director Peter Orszag told the House Budget Committee. It also includes over $400 for interest payments, as the operations have relied heavily on borrowed funds.

The figure would keep 75,000 troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2013 to 2017, just over a third of current deployment. The CBO estimates that reducing troop levels to 30,000 by 2010 would save $485 billion.

The figures include military operations, diplomatic operations, veterans' medical care and survivor benefits, among other costs. They do not include the Pentagon's normal spending, estimated at $450 billion for 2007.

The report was released just days after President Bush increased his 2008 defense spending request to $200 billion and urged Congress to approve the funds before it's holiday recess.
I want my money back.

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