Posted on 04/11/2011 9:24:34 AM PDT by quesney
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon said Monday the military intervention in Libya cost the U.S. an extra $608 million in the first few of weeks of the operation. Spending is down significantly, though not as much as expected. Defense Department spokeswoman Navy Cmdr. Kathleen Kesler said it will take several weeks to tally exactly how much has been spent. But $608 million is the price tag officials have estimated through April 4 — or for 17 days of the mission, the most recent figures available. The estimate shows a large drop from what the U.S. spent in the early days of the multinational operation that started March 19 — roughly $55 million a day in the first 10 days, then about $8.3 million a day in the seven that followed.
Still, very rough projections late last month estimated costs would decline even more than that as the U.S. handed lead of the operation to NATO. The alliance would also conduct most of the bombing missions. Officials didn't explain what caused the higher-than-expected rate of spending. It's possible at least part is due to the fact that the full transition to NATO went a little slower than expected.
It is the second time the Pentagon has released costs for setting up the no-fly zone in the North African nation and protecting civilians from strongman Moammar Gadhafi as he resists a movement to oust him.
Officials late last month said the added spending from March 19 through March 28, the first 10 days of the intervention, was $550 million. About 60 percent was for munitions. The remaining costs were for "higher operating tempo" of U.S. forces and of getting them there.
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(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
“More lies. Try close to 2 billion already, and counting”
Yeah, that’s right. They’re using some kind of marginal cost accounting that doesn’t account for the full cost - and getting a lot of heat for it.
It’s beyond Libya. It’s about how recklessly people in DC spends American blood and treasure - with abandon, with complete disregard for the what’s sacrificed. They just don’t care. It isn’t their blood or their treasure.
“The comments there are pretty scathing, things you would expect on FR.”
Conservative outrage is going mainstream - definitely. And it’ll intensify and spread as the economy tanks again over the coming year or so.
Must be the rising fuel costs? Maybe they should look at a (ships) trade in?
Sadly to say “conservatives” in the Senate were not too outraged on March 1 when they called on Obama to implement the no fly zone.
looks like this great country is a gonner already..and O didnt do it alone.
How many libyan civilians did the create or save with that 600 million?
How many american lives could they have saved if they spent that 600 million here at home?
Why are libyan lives worth more than American lives?
You misunderstood wha I wrote. They have shot off around 150 of them at the cost of close to $1 million a piece. Hence the $150 Million.
Gotcha!
Actually, going into Libya is really a brilliant move by Obama. Some of us think that he’s out to bankrupt the country and if that’s true, this ‘project’ has us spending closing in on a Billion and has a lot of Republicans on his side. In fact, some Republicans want him to go for it and invaded the country.
If Obama can get the debt high enough, taxes will have to go up and since Republicans are on board now for three wars, what the hey - higher taxes cannot be far away. Of course, under Obama we will never win any war. We seem screwed.
It’s all like reliving the Clinton years during the Bosnia action.
I call BS on the cost being ‘only’ $608 million.
The F-15 we lost cost about $30 million (5% of the claimed total cost) all by itself.
Or another Dillon Aero Tactical Vehicle for his motorcade.
http://mini-gun.com/media/DillonTacticalVehicle-1.wmv
Limo libs and Mercedes Marxists are PISSED.
George Soros should be in prison for sedition.
You've got that right. Oboma is an idiot for pulling a stunt like this (and everything else he's done so far as well - all failures).
We have some Libyan Money to throw at that!
My son is a career soldier. Been in over 19 years and is a batallion CSM currently deployed. This is his fifth deployment into harms way. My wife spoke with his wife today. Even though the shutdown never happened, military members received only half a pay check. At one point there was actually talk of closing down the Commissary.
My daughter-in-law is a great money manager, but even she will have to do some quick funds transfers to cover their bills. Many soldiers, particularly the lower enlisted ranks, will probably be in big trouble because they do not, as a rule, plan for this kind of difficulty. Moreover, they tend to spend away their paychecks on cars, trucks and electyronic doodads.
Both Onada and Boehner were ready to throw the troops under the bus, in fact they did, while at the same time protecting civil servant union members. That’s just plain despicable. Both these creatures need to made to pay a price for their perfidy.
Shame on them to hell.
The House passed a bill to insure the military would be paid. Obama said he would veto it.
So how, exactly, is Boehner to blame?
The downturn for our military readiness began during Desert Storm and hasn't let up. The help never showed up. The adults went to the country club and have stayed there oblivious to all going on.
To top it all off the next radical Islamic cleric who will rule Iraq real soon or may well be now has a nice new improved trained military to use against us yet AGAIN. Our Foreign Policy is certifiable insanity written by fools and idiots for 22 solid years now.
Perhaps you can’t read. My son’s pay was cut in half. That’s a fact. It is obvious Boehner did not protect our soldiers. What other conclusion can be drawn from this? Please be specific.
Tell me, do you think it’s perfectly ok for deployed soldiers to have their pay cut while in harm’s way? It’s not like they can hang out at the union hall or the pool is it? The people trying to kill them certainly aren’t taking a time out. Are they?
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