WASHINGTON, May 14: America’s annual war expenditure has increased fourfold since 9/11, from $31 billion in 2001-02 to an estimated $125 billion for the current fiscal year, says a congressional report.
The Congressional Research Service, in a recent report prepared for US lawmakers, estimates that if the additional $71 billion supplemental for 2006 is included, the total war-related funding would rise to about $439 billion.
If funds requested for US foreign assistance to Pakistan and for war-related activities in Iran, Darfur and Liberia are included, the total 2006 supplemental goes up to $72.4 billion.
Based on the assumption that the US would be able to reduce the number of its troops engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan from an estimated 258,000 to 74,000 in 2010, Congressional Budget Office estimates that war costs could total $371 billion between 2007 and 2016.
Adding that amount to the $440 billion already approved or requested, total funding for Iraq and the global “war on terrorism” could reach $811 billion by 2016. Since the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001, the US has initiated three military operations: Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The first operation covers Afghanistan and other global “war on terror” activities ranging from the Philippines to Djibouti, that began immediately after the 9/11 attacks and continues. The second provides enhanced security to US military bases and other homeland security that was launched in response to the Sept 11 attacks.
The third operation began in the fall of 2002 with the build-up of US troops for the March 2003 invasion of Iraq and continues with counter-insurgency and stability operations.
CRS notes that the total cost for US military and security-related operations has risen steeply since the 9/11 attacks primarily because of higher US spending in Iraq.
Annual war appropriations more than doubled from about $31 billion in 2001-02 to between $74 and $81 billion with preparations for and invasion of Iraq in 2003. By 2004, annual war funding had trebled over the 2002 level to $94 billion. By 2005, annual war-related appropriations increased to $107 billion. If the 2006 supplemental request is included, annual funding goes up from $31 billion in 2001-02 to $125 billion for 2006 for the continuation of Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom and enhanced defence security, a fourfold increase since the first year of operations.
CRS estimates that Congress has appropriated a total of about $368 billion for US military operations, base security, reconstruction, foreign aid, embassy costs, and veterans’ health care for the three operations, This total includes $50 billion for war costs included in the Pentagon’s regular 2006 appropriations — but not the 2006 war supplemental or the $50 billion ‘placeholder’ figure included in the 2007 budget.
Of the $368 billion appropriated so far, CRS estimates that Iraq will receive about $261 billion (71 per cent), operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere $77 billion (21 per cent) and enhanced base security about $26 (7 per cent) billion, with about $4 billion that cannot be allocated based on available information. About 90 per cent of these funds are for the Department of Defence and about 9 per cent for foreign aid programmes and embassy operations, and less than 1 per cent for medical care for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
CRS estimates that total includes about $320 billion for Iraq, about $89 billion for Afghanistan and other “war on terror” operations, and about $26 billion for enhanced security. On a monthly basis, Pentagon spent an average of about $6.4 billion for Iraq, $1.3 billion for “war on terror” and $180 million for enhanced base security in 2005. Compared to 2004, these averages are 28 per cent higher for Iraq, 18 per cent higher for war on terror, and 33 per cent lower for base security.
