Funding the war in Iraq

Funding the war in Iraq -- 2006: "The Iraq war could eventually cost $2 trillion," according to a new study co-authored by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz and Linda J. Bilmes, "who previously presented the conservative estimate." --Cursor, January 10, 2006.

Funding the war in Iraq -- April 2004
In April 2004, funding the war in Iraq began to cause concern for "military officials, defense contractors and members of Congress [who then said] that worsening U.S. fortunes in Iraq [had] dramatically changed the equation and more money [would] be needed soon," Jonathan Weisman wrote in the Washington Post.

Weisman reported that "Intense combat in Iraq is chewing up military hardware and consuming money at an unexpectedly rapid rate -- depleting military coffers, straining defense contractors and putting pressure on Bush administration officials to seek a major boost in war funding long before they had hoped."

Although Congress "approved an $87 billion defense request last year," Weisman wrote, "the administration has steadfastly maintained that military forces in Iraq will be sufficiently funded until early next year." However, Bush's "budget request for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 included no money for Iraqi operations, and his budget director, Joshua B. Bolten, said no request would come until January at the earliest." 

Unmet funding needs, "including initiatives aimed at providing equipment and weapons for troops in Iraq" which are NOT included in "Bush's $402 billion defense budget for 2005," identified by the military include:


 * Army:
 * $132 million for bolt-on vehicle armor
 * $879 million for combat helmets, silk-weight underwear, boots and other clothing
 * $21.5 million for M249 squad automatic weapons
 * $27 million for ammunition magazines, night sights and ammo packs
 * $956 million for repairing desert-damaged equipment
 * $102 million to replace equipment lost in combat


 * Marine Corps:
 * $40 million for body armor, lightweight helmets and other equipment for "Marines engaged in the global war on terrorism"
 * 1,800 squad automatic weapons
 * 5,400 M4 carbine rifles

"Bush administration officials have not wavered in their contention that money is actually plentiful. Dov S. Zakheim, who left his post as Pentagon comptroller last week, told reporters earlier this month that there may be a temporary spike in spending in the coming months but that costs would then steadily decline. By borrowing from military personnel, operations and maintenance accounts for the final half of 2005, the Pentagon may be able to bridge the gap, said Rep. John M. Spratt, Jr. (S.C.), the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. But budget chicanery of that magnitude would be unprecedented, he added. ... 'Whether they can do that if the requirement is $50 [billion] or $60 billion remains to be seen,' Spratt said. 'It's no way to run a budget.'"

However, Pauline Jelinek, in the April 22, 2004, article "Iraq War Faces $4B Shortfall," reports that The "Pentagon's top general," General Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on April 21st "that increased violence in Iraq is pushing the cost of the war over budget, threatening a $4 billion shortfall by late summer, ... the recent decision to extend the stay of some 20,000 troops will cost roughly $700 million more over three months. And the White House kept open the possibility that it will seek additional funds before the end of this election year."

According to Myers, "'When the service chiefs last talked about this, there was, I think, a $4 billion shortfall,' Myers told the House Armed Services Committee. 'We thought we could get through all of August. We'd have to figure out how to do September.'"

Additionally, officials said that the "war is costing about $4.7 billion a month, officials said." Myers said that "Defense officials are studying their budget, which runs through Sept. 30, to determine whether some money can be moved from purchase programs or other Pentagon accounts." 

Cost of War Calculations

 * "The Federal Pie Chart" posted by the War Resisters League provides a breakdown in war spending.
 * The National Priorities Project's running total of the U.S. taxpayer cost of the Iraq War is based on Congressional appropriations.

Funding Documents

 * Request for FY2003 Supplemental Appropriations, March 25, 2003 (46-page pdf): "to cover military operations, relief and reconstruction activities in Iraq, ongoing operations in the global war on terrorism, enhancements to the safety of U.S. diplomats and citizens abroad, support for U.S. allies critical in succeeding in the war, and homeland security protection and response measures."
 * News Release: "Fact Sheet: Request for Additional FY 2004 Funding for the War on Terror," White House, September 8, 2003.
 * "Request for Additional FY 2004 Funding for the War on Terror," Department of State, September 8, 2003.

Reports & Studies

 * Steven M. Kosiak, "Funding for Defense, Military Operations, Homeland Security, and Related Activities Since 9-11," Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, January 21, 2004.
 * Phyllis Bennis and Erik Leaver and the IPS Iraq Task Force, "The Iraq Quagmire: The Mounting Costs of War and the Case for Bringing Home the Troops." A Study by the Institute for Policy Studies and Foreign Policy In Focus, August 31, 2005.
 * "The Iraq Quagmire," Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) and Foreign Policy In Focus (FPIP), October 25, 2005.
 * Linda Bilmes and Joseph E. Stiglitz, "The Economic Costs of the War in Iraq: An Appraisal Three Years After the Beginning of the Conflict," Columbia University, January 2006.

2003

 * "Not-So-Hidden Agenda: Strategic and Economic Assessments of U.S. led Invasion in the Middle East. Pre War Analysis," The Big Picture, March 19, 2003.
 * Anne C. Richard, "The Cost of War in Iraq: A Checklist," The Globalist, March 24, 2003.
 * "The Cost of War," PBS Online NewsHour, March 25, 2003: "President Bush asked Congress Tuesday for $74.7 billion in emergency spending to fund the war in Iraq."
 * "US Senate Approves Nearly 80-billion-dollar Funding for Iraq War," People's Daily, April 12, 2003.
 * David Gilson, "Bush's Fuzzy War Math," Mother Jones, September 18, 2003.
 * Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, "Congress Mulls President's Supplemental Funding Request," American Forces Press Service, September 22, 2003.
 * Ali Khan, "Funding a Fragile Occupation of Iraq," Baltimore Chronicle, October 20, 2003.

2004

 * Eric Umansky, "Hummer Bummer. Why is the White House underfunding armored Humvees?" Slate, February 18, 2004.
 * Donna Miles, "Rumsfeld Says Full Funding Needed to Continue Terror War," American Forces Press Service, March 10, 2004.
 * Pamela Hess, "$750 million possibly diverted to Iraq," UPI (Washington Times), April 19, 2004.
 * Jonathan Weisman, "War May Require More Money Soon," Washington Post, April 21, 2004.
 * Thom Shanker and David E. Sanger, "Pentagon Drafts Iraq Troop Plan to Meet Violence," New York Times, April 21, 2004.
 * Scott Lindlaw, "Billions down a rat-hole: Iraq expenses are more than expected, Pentagon warns," Associated Press, April 22, 2004.
 * "GOP congressmen angry at White House over Iraq," Associated Press, April 22, 2004.
 * Veronique de Rugy, "Where are the Cuts? President Bush asks for more Iraq money," National Review Online, May 11, 2004.
 * Hannah K. Strange, "Report: The 'real' costs of the Iraq war," UPI (Washington Times), July 1, 2004.
 * Jonathan Weisman and Thomas E. Ricks, "Increase in War Funding Sought. Bush to Request $70 Billion More," Washington Post, October 26, 2004.
 * Bryan Bender, "War funding request may hit $100 billion," Boston Globe, December 15, 2004.

2005

 * Peronet Despeignes, "Congress expects $100 billion war request," USA Today, January 3, 2005.
 * Arianna Huffington, "More Money For Iraq? Not Without Conditions," Arianna Online, January 19, 2005.
 * Andrea Shalal-Esa, "Pentagon Plays Games With War Funding Requests," Capitol Hill Blue, February 9, 2005.
 * Jonathan Weisman, "President Requests More War Funding. Money for Iraqi Forces Rises Sharply," Washington Post, February 15, 2005.
 * Brian Knowlton, "Bush's 'Priceless' War," Asia Times (GlobalPolicy.org), February 25, 2005.
 * Richard Cowan, "U.S. House Approves Iraq War Funding Compromise," Reuters (DefenseNews.com), May 5, 2005.
 * Donna Miles, "Bush Approves $82 Billion in Supplemental Funding," American Forces Press Service, May 12, 2005.
 * Linda J. Bilmes, OpEd: "The Trillion-Dollar War," New York Times (Harvard University), August 20, 2005.
 * Jessica Azulay, "Feds Ignored Catastrophe Predictions, Diverted Funds," New Standard News, September 1, 2005: "The Bush administration spent the last four years moving funds from natural disaster prevention and relief to militaristic priorities like the Iraq war – a move that may be responsible for death and suffering along the Gulf Coast." re Hurricane Katrina.
 * Kevin Zeese, Interview With Erik Leaver on the Cost of Iraq War: "The most expensive military effort in 60 years," Democracy Rising, September 15, 2005.
 * Edmund L. Andrews, "Emergency Spending as a Way of Life," New York Times, October 2, 2005.
 * "War Costs Poised To Reach $500B," Associated Press (CBS News), December 13, 2005.

2006

 * Suzanne Goldenberg, "Bush pulls the plug on Iraq reconstruction. $18bn funding to stop at end of year," Guardian (UK), January 3, 2006.
 * Pascal Riche, "The Cost of The War," TPM Cafe, January 5, 2006.
 * Jamie Wilson, "Iraq War Could Cost US Over $2 Trillion, says Nobel Prize-Winning Economist," Guardian (UK) (Common Dreams), January 7, 2006: "Economists say official estimates are far too low; New calculation takes in dead and injured soldiers."
 * Bryan Bender, "Economists say cost of war could top $2 trillion. Tally exceeds White House projections," Boston Globe, January 8, 2006.
 * Jason Szep, "Cost of Iraq war could top $2 trillion: study," Reuters, January 9, 2006.
 * Andrew Walker, "US economist questions Iraq costs," BBC, January 9, 2006.
 * Martin Wolf, "The failure to calculate the costs of war," Financial Times, January 10, 2006.
 * Tom Regan, "Report: Iraq war costs could top $2 trillion. New study takes into account long-term costs of healthcare for wounded soldiers," Christian Science Monitor, January 10, 2006.

SourceWatch Resources

 * Reconstruction of Iraq funding


 * coalition of the willing: beginning of the end
 * Coalition Provisional Authority
 * Coalition Provisional Authority: March 2004 Reconstruction of Iraq Memo
 * Federal contractors
 * Iraqi unified resistance
 * Military-industrial complex
 * New Iraq
 * Occupation forces in Iraq
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom: Year Three: Quagmire
 * Plan of Attack (2004 book)
 * Post-war Iraq
 * Private Military Corporations
 * Privatization of Iraq
 * Reconstruction of Iraq
 * Reconstruction of Iraq contractors
 * Shiite Muslim uprising in Iraq
 * Terrorist attacks in Iraq
 * U.S. budget deficit
 * war profiteering