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UK cost of Iraq, Afghan wars tops Pnds 13 bn

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Nov 26, IRNA
UK-War Costs
The net additional cost for the UK wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is set to reach more than Pnds 13 billion (Dlrs 20 bn) by the end of the current financial year in March, according to the latest figures released by Defence Secretary John Hutton.

In a written parliamentary statement, Hutton revealed that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has asked the Treasury for an immediate Pnds 3.7 bn to cover escalating expenditure. Some reports suggest even further funds will be required before the end of the year.

The increasing costs for British tax-payers of the dual military operations was previously estimated as an additional Pnds 3.4 bn coming from the Treasury's contingency funds for 2007-08.

The latest estimated cost for the year is Pnds 1.4 bn for Iraq and Pnds 2.3 bn for Afghanistan, representing a combined increase of nearly 25 per cent over last year.

While the cost of operations in Iraq is expected to fall significantly when the bulk of the UK's remaining 4,100 troops leave Basra airport early next year, the cost of Afghanistan is likely to grow further.

During an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, Foreign Secretary David Miliband admitted that the UK did not rule out sending more troops to Afghanistan.

The British government will consider any request from US President -Elect Barack Obama to send more troops, Miliband said. Obama has already called for more Nato troops to increase their commitment to defeat Taliban.

Earlier this year, the Defence Select Committee called on the MoD to account for the growing costs of the wars, after previously accusing the government of waging wars without gaining parliament's approval for the extra expenditure.

In a book last year, Joseph Stiglitz, former World Bank chief economist, and Harvard University lecturer, reported that UK costs of the two wars, was expected to rise to more than Dlrs 40 billion, including social costs, by 2010.

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