Facts about Iraq & then American debt

Here's a good article about how much spending the Bush administration has done in one year...
Very interesting, very upsetting, very real....



By the end of this year, the US Government will have spent $150bn on invading and then rebuilding Iraq. That sounds like a lot - but the real question should be whether it is anywhere near enough.

COST OF THE WAR
Military operations so far: $143bn
Military operations (projected): $150bn-300bn
Reconstruction so far: $33bn (US $18.7bn)
Reconstruction (projected): $50bn-100bn
Extra security: $40bn-80bn

Sources: CBO, CSIS, World Bank


According to the Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan body set up by the US Congress, the war and occupation of Iraq by 130,000 US troops costs about $4bn-5bn (�2.2bn-2.7bn) per month, or $48bn-60bn per year.

Many experts now believe that US troop levels of this magnitude may be needed for the next 3-5 years, in contrast to earlier plans to reduce troop levels to below 100,000 this year.


The Bush administration has chosen to finance the war by off-budget emergency supplemental appropriations, rather than include Iraq spending in the budget sent to Congress.

The US is spending billions on rebuilding - but more might be needed
It was only after the war began, on 25 March 2003, that President Bush asked for $75bn extra to pay for the initial costs of the war.

And it was more than six months later before the next supplemental appropriation, for another $87bn, was made.

"The major problem is the Bush administration's unwillingness to face up to the need to finance any of the additional costs, whether the war in Iraq, homeland security, or most important of all the new Medicare provisions," he says.

"Like a teenager who gets further in debt on a credit card, the Bush administration is racking up costs that will have to be paid in the future in higher taxes or lower government programs.



Cited Source:
The cost of the Iraq war: One year on



[Edited on 8-4-2004 by TrueLies]

Some interesting facts I doubt some people have researched. To let you guys know Iraq wasn't always an oppressed people. They celebrate independance day like we do, they had a similiar setup to ours, the only difference is we have separation of church and state.
The majory of muslims there are either sunni or shia.

Here's some facts:

~Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain during the course of World War I.

~1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under UK administration.

~In stages over the next dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932.

~A "republic" was proclaimed in 1958

~in actuality a series of military strongmen have ruled the country since then, the latest being SADDAM Husayn.


~Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions over a period of 12 years resulted in the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government.


Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur

Environmental Issues: government water control projects have drained most of the inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and erosion; desertification


Population: 24,683,313 (July 2003 est.) Probably going down now though, more civilian deaths today.


People living with AIDS? less than 1,000
HIV DEATHS? NONE

Ethnic Groups: Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%

Religions: Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%

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