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British concern over rising cost of Iraq occupation

IRNA

London, Sept 20, IRNA -- Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor of 
the Exchequer Gordon Brown were reported Saturday to be at odds over 
the rising costs of the military occupation of Iraq. 
According to the Scotsman newspaper, Blair`s newly appointed 
special envoy to Iraq, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, was preparing for a 
showdown with Brown after stating that he had grown "uncomfortable" 
with the estimated Pnds 40 million (Dlrs 64m) a week bill. 
Before taking up his appointment last week, Greenstock indicated 
that he would launch a personal campaign to follow the US to increase 
Britain`s financial commitment to Iraq`s reconstruction. 
The chancellor has already set aside an extra Pnds 3 billion 
towards the Defence Ministry costs, which is thought to have already 
been spent. 
The difficulties Brown faces is that he has already forecast a 
Pnds 27 bn budget deficit for the current fiscal year ending March 
2004, which is being supported by borrowing that has already been 
twice the levels of last year. 
Backbench MPs have already expressed frustration at the refusal by 
the government to disclose the cost of the Iraq war and subsequent 
occupation, admitting to only that extra activities in Iraq cost Pnds 
700 m before hostilities started in March. 
The Scotsman suggested that with the deployment of up to an extra 
5,000 troops in Iraq, the total deployment of 15,000 would overtake 
the numbers in Northern Ireland and was expected to increase the cost 
to Pnds 50 m a week. 
The potential dispute between Blair and Brown follows repeated 
reports of a power struggle over the leadership of the ruling Labour 
Party and expectations that the Chancellor will eventually take over. 
HC/212 
End