The Cost of the Surge

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4:59 PM, Jul 31, 2007 • By MICHAEL GOLDFARB

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The Danger Room posts today on the cost of the surge:

The "surge" of increased troops in Iraq could cost as much as $40 billion to maintain, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

In testimony today to the House Budget Committee, CBO assistant director Robert Sunshine says keeping the 30,000 - 40,000 extra soldiers and marines in Iraq for two years would take $40 billion; a one-year "surge," $22 billion.

$40 billion, it's a lot of money, I know. But the figure had some greater resonance for me--I couldn't place it...but then I remembered, this week's issue of Business Week.

Apples and Oranges? Yes. But if Americans are willing to spend $41 billion on their pets each year, maybe $40 billion for two years of surging against al Qaeda isn't such a bad a deal. Or maybe Scotty Beauchamp and his buddies could kill all the dogs over here and free up some extra coin for the war...