De Oorlogsstaat 30

Ik hoop dat iemand van onze wakkere parlementsleden in de gaten houdt hoeveel ons avontuur in Afghanistan kost, want voor de Verenigde Staten blijven de kosten gigantisch stijgen. Common Dreams: 'U.S. War Spending to Rise 44% to $9.8 Bn a Month, Report Says. U.S. military spending in Iraq and Afghanistan will average 44 percent more in the current fiscal year than in fiscal 2005, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said. Spending will rise to $9.8 billion a month from the $6.8 billion a month the Pentagon said it spent last year, the research service said. The group's March 10 report cites "substantial'' expenses to replace or repair damaged weapons, aircraft, vehicles, radios and spare parts. It also figures in costs for health care, fuel, national intelligence and the training of Iraqi and Afghan security forces -- "now a substantial expense,'' it said. The research service said it considers "all war and occupation costs,'' while the Pentagon counts just the cost of personnel, maintenance and operations. The House approved emergency funding that includes the military spending last night by a vote of 348-71. The measure authorizes $72 billion for war costs and almost $20 billion for hurricane relief. The Senate is expected to pass it next month. Congress already has approved $50 billion in supplemental war funding for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, after spending $100 billion last year. To date, Congress has approved about $337 billion for the wars since Sept. 11, 2001.' Lees verder: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0317-01.htm