Recommendations of the Iraq Study Group Report: on Budget & Economy

Iraq war costs should not circumvent normal budget process

RECOMMENDATION 72: Costs for the war in Iraq should be included in the President's annual budget request, starting in FY 2008: the war is in its fourth year, and the normal budget process should not be circumvented. Funding requests for the war in Iraq should be presented clearly to Congress and the American people. Congress must carry out its constitutional responsibility to review budget requests for the war in Iraq carefully and to conduct oversight. Source: Recommendations of the Iraq Study Group Report Dec 6, 2006

Iraq war will cost US up to $2 trillion

Assessment of the Current Situation in Iraq: The US has made a massive commitment to the future of Iraq in both blood and treasure. As of Dec. 2006, nearly 2,900 Americans have lost their lives serving in Iraq. Another 21,000 Americans have been wounded, many severely.

To date, the US has spent roughly $400 billion on the Iraq War, and costs are running about $8 billion per month. In addition, the US must expect significant "tail costs" to come. Caring for veterans and replacing lost equipment will run into the hundreds of billions of dollars. Estimates run as high as $2 trillion for the final cost of the US involvement in Iraq.

The US has appropriated a total of about $34 billion to support the reconstruction of Iraq. There is a substantial need for continued reconstruction in Iraq. International support for Iraqi reconstruction has been tepid. International donors pledged $13.5 billion to support reconstruction, but less than $4 billion has been delivered.

Source: Recommendations of the Iraq Study Group Report Dec 6, 2006

The above quotations are from Recommendations of the Iraq Study Group Report, released Dec. 6, 2006. Click here for definitions & background information on Budget & Economy. Click here for more quotes by Robert Gates on Budget & Economy. Click here for more quotes by Donald Rumsfeld on Budget & Economy.
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