Iraq Troop Buildup Could Cost $27 Billion, CBO Finds

The bipartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released estimates showing that the monetary cost of President Bush's plan to increase the number of U.S. troops deployed in the Iraq war could climb as high as $27 billion.

According to the CBO, costs of the troop buildup would range from $9 billion to $13 billion for a four-month deployment and from $20 billion to $27 billion for a 12-month deployment, depending upon the total number of troops deployed. The estimates also include costs of the bringing the extra troops home.

In addition to the combat troops deployed in the buildup, non-combat support personnel will also be required. Using the average support-to-combat ratio used by the Department of Defense since 2003, the CBO projected that at least 28,000 support personnel will be required for at least four months. CBO estimated the cost of deploying and returning the support personnel to be $13 billion.

Also See:
Iraq War: Can Congress End It?
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Latest Iraq War Results & Statistics (US Liberals)