A long-term U.S. troop presence in Iraq will cost between 4 billion U.S. dollars to 8 billion dollars up front, with an annual tab ranging from 10 billion dollars to 25 billion dollars, according to a new study.
The forecasts were made in a report released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Monday.
The report prepared two scenarios envisioning a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq at the request of Sen. Kent Conrad, (D-N. D.), and both employed a baseline estimate of 55,000 troops in Iraq at any given time.
Under the first "combat" scenario, U.S. troops will be in Iraq for specific periods of time before returning to their home bases and will operate at roughly the same tempo and perform the same missions as troops now on the ground.
That requires one-time costs of 4 billion dollars to 8 billion dollars and an annual cost of 25 billion dollars.
In the second "noncombat" scenario, 55,000 troops will serve one-year tours at established bases in Iraq or nearby countries, much as troops are assigned to U.S. bases in South Korea and Germany.
The up-front costs runs an estimated 8 billion dollars, while annual costs would be 10 billion dollars, the CBO said.
At the present rate, the Pentagon says it spends 9 billion dollars a month, or 108 billion dollars annually, on the Iraq war.
Source: Xinhua
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