Iraq war is costing $100,000 per minute

[Barrett808]

Iraq war is costing $100,000 per minute
By Mark Mazzetti and Joel Havemann
Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON — The White House said Thursday that it plans to ask Congress for an additional $70 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, driving the cost of military operations in the two countries to $120 billion this year, the highest ever.

Most of the new money would pay for the war in Iraq, which has cost an estimated $250 billion since the U.S. invasion in March 2003.

The additional spending, along with other war funding the Bush administration will seek separately in its regular budget next week, would push the price tag for combat and nation-building since Sept. 11, 2001, to nearly a half-trillion dollars, approaching the inflation-adjusted cost of the 13-year Vietnam War.

The cost of military operations in 2006 is $35 billion higher than what Congress had estimated a few months ago that the Defense Department would need this year. The higher costs are occurring even as the Pentagon is planning to reduce troop levels in Iraq in coming months, reflecting the continuing wear and damage to military equipment in desert combat, the need to upgrade protection for U.S. troops and the effort to train and equip Iraqi forces.

No large-scale reconstruction projects are included in the spending, officials said.

Currently, the Defense Department says it is spending about $4.5 billion a month on the conflict in Iraq, or about $100,000 per minute.

Current spending in Afghanistan is about $800 million a month, or about $18,000 per minute.

(more)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002780385_spending03.html

[stepnw1f]

1. The Neo-Con Plan to Bankrupt America is Going as Planned

and the stupid "Ditto-Heads" still believe its a good thing. (gullible assholes)

[rurallib]

2. And Exxon is only pulling in $83,000 per minute

don't quite seem fair does it?

[FloridaPat]

3. Funny how we have to increase DOD budget to pay for some of

the invasion - like salaries and materials. But those figures aren't included when they talk about how much it is really costing us. Last I heard, we are spending $1.5 billion a week in Iraq. That's $6 billion a month. The new budget request is around $2 billion a week. Nice to see things are going so well in Iraq. What a joke played on the American people.

And we still don't know where all the money is going do we? I wonder how much is ending up in repub checking accounts.

[wordpix2]

4. Congress should tell * cabal NO, we CAN"T AFFORD IT & it's time to leave

but the "fiscally responsible party" as the repukes like to call themselves, probably will appropriate the $$$ while the nation goes down the hole. IMPEACH and THROW THE RASCALS OUT!

[ixion]

5. that big sucking sound you hear

is the sound of our treasury going bankrupt. :grr:

[phusion]

6. Unbelievable

Imagine what this money could do if spent on something besides war.

:(

[Auntie Bush]

7. Wow, War costing us $100,000.00 per minute!!!! Is it worth that much

for Iraqi's to dip there finger in purple ink. I'd do it for nothing.

Serously...Think about the many things we could do with that money here at home. It makes me sick to think of it. And our poor children and Grandchildren will have to pay for bush's stupidity...plus they have to go without all the schools, teachers health care, privacy etc. they could have enjoyed. They will also have to live in fear of their children getting killed in a war that was rooted in bush's idiotic policies.

The whole thing makes me soooo angry :mad: and sick to my stomach. :puke:

[UpInArms]

8. $144,000,000 per day

60 minutes per hour
24 hours per day
$144,000,000 per day

:wow:

:banghead:

[genie_weenie]

9. $ but more importantly lives

"You can always hear the people who are willing to sacrifice somebody else's life. They're plenty loud and they talk all the time. You can find them in churches and schools and newspapers and legislatures and congress. That's their business. They sound wonderful. Death before Dishonor. This ground sanctified by blood. These men who died so gloriously. They shall not have died in vain. Our noble dead." Johnny Got His Gun , pg.115

"Nobody but the dead know whether all these things people talk about are worth dying for or not. And the dead can't talk." Johnny Got His Gun , pg.115

I wonder why this movie hasn't been released on Region 1 DVD? It's got 2 actors of significance, Jason Robards and Donald Sutherland (as Jesus!). You can only get a Region 4 (AUS and NZ)! Any conspiracy thoughts?

But, of course now we get to the meat of the issue, the money, the money, the money...

Oh, Shit I'm sorry I forgot that the US Military's job is to safeguard markets for American Business.

Defense Department. Man we (the American people) really let them Orwell us on that one.

Sorry, everyone, I just sort of free associated this whole post...

[BR_Parkway]

10. ExxonMobile profit is $81,000 a minute - I guess the rest is going

to Halliburton

[Megahurtz]

26. ding ding ding!!!

We have a winner!

[enid602]

11. Bush

Has anyone tried to figure out how much George Bush is costing us on a per minute basis?

[daleo]

12. And one Iraqi life per hour, one U.S. life every 10 hours

The first is probably a low estimate. Probably the rate of being maimed (losing legs, arms, sight, hearing, brain damage, etc) is two or three times the other figures.

[boobooday]

13. How much of that is going to Halliburton?

Just wondering . . .

[wordpix2]

15. Most contracts going to KBR but private companies not accountable

to US taxpayers.

KBR has billed $1.8 billion for nothing---4 investigations going on.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/warriors/view/

[OneBlueSky]

14. "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking . . .

real money" . . . can't recall who said it; might have been Sen. Everett Dirkson . . .

[KansDem]

16. Wow! We just spent $100,000 in the time it took to read the article! (nt)

[wordpix2]

17. privateer contractors often not traceable-see this PBS video link here

Chapter Four has info about shadiness of these private contractors.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/warriors/view/

[LynnTheDem]

18. No no no! This war will "pay for itself with Iraqi oil".

THe librul media is just trying to make bush look like a MFing lying sonovabitch dickhead liar.

[wordpix2]

19. K&R!

[young_at_heart]

20. This must be why there is no money for student loans

Those Iraqis need democracy so much more than our students need an education!

[Dunvegan]

21. Which Iraqis?

The thousands of officially uncounted civilian Iraqis we've "collateral damaged" to death?

The civilian Iraqis outlaw Iraqis have killed in tribal reprisals?

The civilian Iraqis that now have fewer schools, little electricity, intermittent water?

The civilian Iraqis that have no security in thier homes or persons from bombs on the street or from above?

I'm morally opposed to what is being done in my name to Iraq and Americans with my hard-earned money.

I want my money back.

Short of that...I'm about ready to shut down and give this administration zero blood money, no earnings and no taxes...even if it means I starve.

[young_at_heart]

22. I hear you!

Watching the news every night with the latest "march to democracy" has become more than painful.

[Toots]

23. We are paying a half million dollars a minute on interest on our debt

Just think if our debt was paid off and we were not killing people in Iraq what could be done for our country. Clinton had us on that path. America really got the shaft when these guys came along...:shrug:

[leftchick]

24. And It Is Worth Every Penny!!!!

:puke: :sarcasm:

[malmapus]

25. bbut.....but...but....but IT WAS SUPPOSE TO PAY FOR ITSELF

Paul Wolfewitz said so! No burden on American taxpayers, I remember him saying those very words. :sarcasm: