Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- The Pentagon needs at least $83 billion more($12 Billion per month) for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through September 30, 2009, Pentagon officials.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=av.r.Cs8ohak&refer=canadaThis figure includes $7.3 billion to pay for adding troops in Afghanistan, Pentagon officials wrote to the Office of Management and Budget on Feb. 3. The U.S. will add about 17,000 to its force of 38,000, President Barack Obama announced this week.
The $83 billion is $13.3 billion more than Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in late December was needed. That estimate of $69.7 billion didn’t include the cost of sending more troops to Afghanistan, he said then.
Congress already has approved $65.9 billion in emergency wartime spending for fiscal 2009, which ends Sept. 30. The latest request would bring the amount to about $149 billion.
