Calculating The Costs Of War

The cost of war in Iraq, the storage depot in Kuwait where used up vehicle batteries, tires and much else awaits refurbishment or recycling. Strategy Page

Calculating The Costs Of War -- Arnaud de Borchgrave, The Washington Times

Defense establishment and public agree: It’s time to cut back.

Leon E. Panetta’s first major address as defense secretary was c clearly designed to be magisterial, the credo of the Free World, still headed by the United States, cognizant of its worldwide responsibilities, albeit with much budgetary belt-tightening. He didn’t mention the two wasteful wars that had little to do with defending Western civilization.

The eight-year Iraq war cost a cool $1 trillion and today Iran, according to a key Iraqi official now in government, wields more influence in Baghdad than the United States with an embassy staff of 1,400.

The Afghan war, including fiscal 2012, will have cost $557 billion. Keeping one U.S. soldier in Afghanistan - the longest war in U.S. history - is now running a tad over $1 million a year.

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My Comment: A sobering recap on how much our wars have cost (and are costing).