Estimates Concerning the Iraq War

[erpowers]

Before the Iraq War started many Republicans inside and outside of the Bush Administration promised a short inexpensive war. I know that the estimates they put out for the costs were around $50 billion-$90 billion; however, I am not sure about the estimates as to how long the war would last. Can anyone tell me how long the Republicans said the Iraq War would last? Right now I am thinking they were saying it would last six weeks; however, they might have been saying would last longer than six weeks, maybe a few months. So, did any Republicans say the Iraq War would last only six weeks?

[stillcool]

1. egads...I just took a look..

really sad to read articles from 2003. The very best site I know of for information is Global Policy Forum..though you will have to wade your way through to get what you want..
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/archwithdrawalindex.htm
I came up with a couple of things though..it looks like the cost estimates were based on the 43 day previous Iraq War..which I think is around the time Bush declared "Mission Accomplished".

White House Cuts Estimate of Cost of War With Iraq
(January 2, 2003)
http://www.iraqfoundation.org/news/2003/ajan/2_whitehouse.html
By Elisabeth Bumiller
www.nytimes.com

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 — The administration's top budget official estimated today that the cost of a war with Iraq could be in the range of $50 billion to $60 billion, a figure that is well below earlier estimates from White House officials.

In a telephone interview today, the official, Mitchell E. Daniels Jr., director of the Office of Management and Budget, also said there was likely to be a deficit in the fiscal 2004 budget, though he declined to specify how large it would be. The administration is scheduled to present its budget to Congress on Feb. 3.

Mr. Daniels would not provide specific costs for either a long or a short military campaign against Saddam Hussein. But he said that the administration was budgeting for both, and that earlier estimates of $100 billion to $200 billion in Iraq war costs by Lawrence B. Lindsey, Mr. Bush's former chief economic adviser, were too high.

Mr. Daniels cautioned that his budget projections did not mean a war with Iraq was imminent, and that it was impossible to know what any military campaign against Iraq would ultimately cost.

"This is nothing more than prudent contingency planning," Mr. Daniels said from his home in Indianapolis, where he was reviewing the fiscal 2004 budget at his kitchen table. "At this point there is no war."

Mr. Daniels's projections place the cost of an Iraq war in line with that of the 1991 Persian Gulf war, which cost more than $60 billion, or about $80 billion in current dollars. But the United States paid for only a small part of that conflict, with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Japan bearing the brunt of the costs.

This time, the gulf nations are less supportive of the United States and, diplomats say, Americans are likely to bear most of the cost of a war with Iraq.

Mr. Daniels declined to explain how budget officials had reached the $50 billion to $60 billion range for war costs, or why it was less in current dollars than the 43-day gulf war in 1991. He also declined to specify how much had been budgeted for munitions and troops.
http://www.iraqfoundation.org/news/2003/ajan/2_whitehouse.html

A. Iraq: Cost of waging war

$50-to-$95 billion (for a “short war”)

Studies by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and staff of the House and Senate Budget Committees all suggest that the United States could fight a “short war” against Iraq for about $50 billion.

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CBO estimates that sending troops and equipment to Iraq would cost $14 billion. The bill for the first month of combat would be about $10 billion — and $8 billion per month thereafter. And then, another $9 billion would be needed to bring the troops home after the end of hostilities.

The U.S. Defense Department, however, has been reported to estimate a $60-to-$95 billion price tag. Officials at the Office of Management and Budget are said to be pushing for a cheaper estimate.

Obviously, if war drags on for any reason beyond a few months, costs will start to add up beyond these numbers.
http://www.theglobalist.com/DBWeb/printStoryId.aspx?StoryId=3020