WAR ON TERROR A FISCAL DISASTER, TOO

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JOHN MCCASLIN, WASHINGTON TIMES -  The Government Accountability Office
has just sent Congress a breakdown of financial obligations to continue
fighting the global war on terrorism. . . Prior to the September 11
terrorist attacks the Defense Department's reported annual cost to fight
global terrorism was $0.2 billion. By fiscal 2006, that amount grew to
$98.4 billion. Thus far in fiscal 2007, Congress has provided the
Defense Department with another $70 billion in annual anti-terrorism
funds. . . But the Pentagon has since requested an additional $93.4
billion supplemental for this year, on top of a $141.7 billion request
for fiscal 2008. In its correspondence, the GAO tells Congress that U.S.
commitments to the GWOT will likely involve "continued investments of
significant resources, requiring decision-makers to consider difficult
trade-offs as the nation faces an increasing long-range fiscal
challenge."

http://www.washtimes.com/national/inbeltway.htm

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