Monthly costs of Iraq, Afghan wars close to Vietnam's

[Newsjock]

PAGE ONE COVER STORY in Monday's USA Today. Will update with link when available.

By DAVE MONIZ
USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The monthly bill for the U.S. military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan now rivals Pentagon spending during the Vietnam War, Defense Department figures show.

The Pentagon is spending nearly $5 billion per month in Iraq and Afghanistan, a pace that would bring yearly costs to almost $60 billion. Those expenses do not include money being spent on rebuilding Iraq's electric grid, water supply and other infrastructure, costs which had no parallel in Vietnam.

In Vietnam, the last sustained war the nation fought, the United States spent $111 billion during the eight years of the war, from 1964 to 1972. Adjusted for inflation, that's more than $494 billion, an average of $61.8 billion per year, or $5.15 billion per month.

more

[Rose Siding]

1. Isn't the 87 billion over the 4-5 billion

that the DoD spends?

[Newsjock]

2. Link here

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-09-07-cover-costs_x.htm

Sorry for the delay.