EDITORIAL
Let's be honest: Wars are expensive

The greatest concern about the war in Iraq, of course, is the mounting toll of killed, wounded, sick and injured — civilian and military, American, coalition and Iraqi.

But we cannot ignore the huge costs involved, especially in light of the increased violence in Iraq and a new push to capture Osama bin laden in Afghanistan.

The war in Iraq is costing an estimated $4.7 billion a month. At that rate, Pentagon planners had hoped that current funding would last at least through the summer.

Now it appears the cost of the war will be some $4 billion over budget by the end of summer.

What's not right about the situation is the White House has no plans to ask Congress for supplemental funding for the war until after the November election. The budget the administration submitted for the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 proposes no new money for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If President Bush is as totally convinced that American policy in these two countries is correct as he says he is, then he should have the courage of his conviction in being up front about paying for it.