Posted on: Tuesday, May 18, 2004

EDITORIAL
Level with us about the true cost of war

The Bush administration has asked Congress to approve an additional $25 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan beginning Oct. 1.

The request was open-ended, according to Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, to give the Pentagon flexibility to deal with the highly fluid situation in Iraq.

But while lawmakers in both houses and on both sides of the aisle want to support our troops, they don't want to be giving the Pentagon a "blank check," especially after the abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib prison.

Lawmakers were understandably upset when money appropriated in 2001 for the Afghanistan effort was diverted to prepare for the Iraq war. Surely, the Pentagon requires flexibility, but too much flexibility has its minuses.

Congress still has not been given a complete and up-front accounting of the true cost of regime changes in the "war on terrorism."

The tab for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is approaching $5 billion a month. This in a time of tax cuts and a $500 billion deficit does not bode well for our economy.

Plus, the $25 billion isn't even half of what's needed, according to the Pentagon. Should Bush win a second term, his administration plans to make a larger request after the November election.

We have a right to know the true cost of the war now, not after the election.