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| Sunday, 15 May 2005 |
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$50 bln more asked for US Iraq, Afghan, wars WASHINGTON, Saturday (Reuters) The Senate Armed Services Committee has recommended an additional $50 billion be set aside to fund U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S.-declared global war on terrorism. The proposed new war spending for fiscal 2006, which starts Oct. 1, would push the cost of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and its aftermath toward $250 billion. Before the invasion, then-White House economic advisor Lawrence Lindsey said a conflict with Iraq could cost $100 billion to $200 billion. He was derided by ministrationcolleagues and lost his job in December 2002. The recommendation for fresh emergency spending was sent to the full Senate on Thursday night as part of a bill that also would authorize $441.6 billion in regular defense spending in fiscal 2006, a 3.1 percent real increase over the sum authorized by Congress last year. Three days ago, Congress gave final approval for an $82 billion emergency war-spending bill, of which about $76 billion would go to fighting the war. Even with such a large emergency funding measure, Pentagon officials have said more money would be needed as early as October. "We prefer to request emergency funds if and when they are needed," said Scott Milburn, an OMB spokesman. "The nature of the conflict means long-term projections of those needs are difficult to make." The new measure had bipartisan support. It is expected to be taken up by the full Senate as early as the end of this month. Once passed by the Senate, it needs to be reconciled with the House of Representatives' version, then approved by both chambers and signed by President Bush to become law. |
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