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To: maceng2 who wrote (710)	1/25/2005 10:04:20 PM
From: maceng2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1417

War costs for US push past $200bn By Edward Alden and Demetri Sevastopuloin Washington Published: January 26 2005 00:39 \| Last updated: January 26 2005 00:39 news.ft.com President George W. Bush said on Tuesday he would seek $75bn in additional funding from Congress to finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing the total estimated costs of those wars to more than $200bn. The request, which will be made to Congress next month, was announced on Tuesday by the White House in an effort to reassure Iraqis that the US commitment there remains unwavering, senior administration officials said. Mr Bush said in a statement that the new monies for the war would “again make clear to the terrorists that our resolve is firm and we will complete our mission”. The scale of the request which brings to $100bn the additional funding in the fiscal year ending in September is likely to renew the debate on whether the US can sustain its efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The cost of the war in Iraq is now certain to surpass the top estimate of former White House economic adviser Larry Lindsey, who was ousted before the war was launched in 2003 for saying it could cost as much as $200bn. Over the eight years between 1964 and 1972 the Vietnam war cost the US $111bn, which adjusted for inflation is just under $500bn. The war in Iraq was launched less than two years ago. In addition, the White House is anticipating another supplemental request for 2006, though the exact size would depend on events and would be worked out in consultation with Congress, a senior official said. “You've seen this pattern before,” he said. Lieutenant-General James Lovelace, director of army operations, said on Monday the army expects to keep its current level of 120,000 troops in Iraq until 2007. The latest estimate underscores the difficulty the Pentagon is having training enough Iraqi security forces to allow US forces to return home, although a significant portion of supplemental request will be dedicated to training efforts. A senior administration official said that the enormous costs of the war pale “compared to the costs the terrorists would like to inflict on us”. He said that the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan “are taxing their much more limited resources, and that's the way you have to think about it”. The cost of monthly operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is currently averaging more than $5bn but the latest request also addresses growing costs for replacement and repair of equipment that is being heavily used in the conflict. For instance, the average Bradley Fighting Vehicle, which is the key weapon on the front lines against the Iraq insurgency, is being used five times as much as the army anticipated. The total supplemental request would be more than $80bn, senior officials said, and would include funds for tsunami disaster relief, aid to the Palestinians, and aid for the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.