US counts costs of war on Iraq

THE US military has spent $20 billion on the war in Iraq and expects to spend roughly $2 billion a month to maintain thousands of troops in that country over the remainder of the current financial year ending on Sept 30, the Pentagon said yesterday.

“The war has cost in the region of about $20 billion so far,” Defence Department Comptroller Dov Zakheim told reporters.

Mr Zakheim said personnel costs have approached $7 billion, combat operations slightly over $10 billion and ammunition and equipment over $3 billion.

“A rough estimate of the monthly cost of the war from here on out is approximately $2 billion,” he added, stressing that combat operations were waning.