War on terror spending increased by 809-times under Bush

Adam Thomas
Press Esc
Jul. 29, 2007

Global war on terror spending increased by 809-times during President George W. Bush's presidency and will lead to continued investment of significant resources, requiring the Administration to consider difficult trade-offs as the United States faces an increasing long-range fiscal challenge, the Government Accountability Office warned today.

The GAO report shows that the cost of war on terror has increased from US$0.2 billion in 2001 to US$ 161.8 billion in 2007 and will likely keep on increasing in the future.

GOA report also shows spending for war in Iraq has increased while funds for operations in Afghanistan have been reduced.

According to the GOA, an even more worrying finding is that Department of Defense obligations for Operation Noble Eagle, the military's efforts to protect Americans from terrorists attacks on the US soil, have consistently decreased since fiscal year 2003.

Future cost variables for other US government agencies include the efforts to help form national and provincial governments and build management capacity as well as capable and loyal security forces in both Afghanistan and Iraq, while reconstruction activities to restore, sustain, and protect critical infrastructure will also impose costs, according to GOA.

The Office warns that healthcare costs will likely increase as more servicemembers require treatment from injuries and mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.