The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11
Abstract
With enactment of the FY2008 Supplemental and FY2009 Bridge Fund (H.R. 2642/P.L. 110-252) on June 30, 2008, Congress has approved a total of about $864 billion for military operations, base security, reconstruction, foreign aid, embassy costs, and veterans' health care for the three operations initiated since the 9/11 attacks: Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Afghanistan and other counterterror operations; Operation Noble Eagle (ONE), providing enhanced security at military bases; and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). This $864 billion total covers all war-related appropriations from FY2001 through part of FY2009 in supplementals, regular appropriations, and continuing resolutions. Of that total, CRS estimates that Iraq will receive about $657 billion (76%), OEF about $173 billion (20%), and enhanced base security about $28 billion (3%), with about $5 billion that CRS cannot allocate (1%). About 94% of the funds are for DoD, 6% for foreign aid programs and embassy operations, and less than 1% for medical care for veterans. As of July 2008, DoD's monthly obligations for contracts and pay averaged about $12.3 billion, including $9.9 billion for Iraq, and $2.4 billion for Afghanistan. The recently enacted FY2008 Supplemental (H.R. 2642/P.L. 110-252) includes a total of about $160 billion for war costs for the Department of Defense (DoD) for the rest of FY2008 and part of FY2009. Funds are expected to last until June or July 2009 well into a new Administration. The Administration did not submit a request to cover all of FY2009. While Congress provided a total of $188 billion for war costs in FY2008 -- $17 billion more than the prior year -- this total was a cut of about $14 billion to the Administration's request, including both reductions in DoD's investment accounts and substitutions of almost $6 billion in nonwar funding.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 15, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA489440
Entities
People
- Amy Belasco
Organizations
- Library of Congress