Report Puts Hidden War Costs at $1.6T

Report Puts Hidden War Costs at $1.6T

THE COST OF WAR: The economic costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are estimated to total $1.6 trillion - roughly double the amount the White House has requested thus far, according to a report by Democrats on Congress' Joint Economic Committee.

WHAT IT MEANS: The $1.6 trillion figure translates into a cost of $20,900 for a family of four, the report said. The Bush administration has requested $804 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined.

POLITICAL BATTLE: Democratic leaders in Congress seized on the report to criticize Bush's war strategy. The White House countered that the report was politically motivated.

--

archive