How Much Are We Spending on the War in Iraq?

With the presidential election a mere thirty days away, an economy in crisis, and personal finance woes, international engagement fades in the background. The Iraq war, still a huge portion of the U.S. budget, takes a backseat to financial woes and the economy in current polls. Still, inquiring minds wonder, how much are we spending on the war in Iraq?

Answering a question such as how much are we spending on the war in Iraq requires sifting through dozens of additional funding bills for the last five years have passed. Most of the money to finance the hat comes from American taxpayers. U.S. citizens contributed $ 600.000.000.000 as for the war effort in June 2008. This breaks down to $ 12000000000 dollars a month for a whopping $ 5000 / 2.

Deployment of a U.S. soldier for a year costs taxpayers close to $ 390,000. The average American soldier earns a salary of $ 54,000 per year. Although we are in the sixth year in Iraqwar, costs continue to rise, with a $12.5 billion per month cost in 2008 as compared to a $4.4 billion per month cost in 2003. This gap may prove staggering, but the Washington continues to state a need for further spending, with President Bush requesting an additional $200 billion in supplemental funding to cover the war through the rest of this year.

Some may want further answers, such as how much are we spending on the war in Iraq for weapons, parts, and Security? Much of the spending in Iraq, especially in 2008, assigned to private security companies. After the U.S. troops be removed from the area between the parties are moving on the diplomatic and agencies continue to support reconstruction. As a part of fighting the war ended, the level of funding for these organizations increased dramatically for a total of $ 85000000000 2003 to 2007, with most financed by the State Department.

Those who point to theIraqi surplus now approaching $79 billion question the amount that the U.S. is spending for rebuilding and security in the country, especially when Iraq allocates a fraction of its budget to redevelopment.

Not all of taxpayer money is actually accounted for in the results of the war. Many machine parts, weapons, and other equipment never find their way to battle, grossing to about $1 billion in 2007. According to the Pentagon Inspector General, the majority of this loss is attributed to mismanagement of funds allocated to Iraqi security forces. Similarly, the Pentagon also reported that Haliburton overcharged the government approximately $1.4 billion during the same year, after receiving a total of $20 billion.

Asking responsible questions like how much are we spending on the war in Iraq is essential during an election year. As the contest for the presidency draws to a close, we must remember to demand answers to the tough questions.