The "surge" of increased troops in Iraq could cost as much as $40 billion to maintain, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.
In testimony today to the House Budget Committee, CBO assistant director Robert Sunshine says keeping the 30,000 - 40,000 extra soldiers and marines in Iraq for two years would take $40 billion; a one-year "surge," $22 billion.
The CBO predicted in February that the announced "surge" of 21,500 troops and $5.6 billion would, in fact, be much larger and much more costly.
Today, the CBO's Sunshine is reporting that operations in Iraq could eventually top $1.6 trillion dollars by 2017. That includes $80 billion to fund local Iraqi forces, $55 billion in foreign aid, and up to $16 billion in veterans' benefits.
