How much does the war in Libya cost?
Pretty soon, it starts to add up:
'With U.N. coalition forces bombarding Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi from the sea and air, the United Statesâ?? part in the operation could ultimately hit several billion dollars -- and require the Pentagon to request emergency funding from Congress to pay for it.The first day of Operation Odyssey Dawn had a price tag that was well over $100 million for the U.S. in missiles alone. And the U.S. military, which remains in the lead now in its third day, has pumped millions more into air- and sea-launched strikes targeting air-defense sites and ground-force positions along Libyaâ??s coastline.
The ultimate total that the United States spends will hinge on the length and scope of the strikes as well as on the contributions of its coalition allies. But Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said on Monday that the U.S. costs could â??easily pass the $1 billion mark on this operation, regardless of how well things go.â?Â
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Naturally, the war in Libya has led some to conclude that now is not that time to cut the U.S. military budget. And obviously if President Obama is going to use American power in this fashion, the costs are going to add up. But the opposite is also true: there are cost-savings associated with a foreign policy of restraint.
(AP Photo)