WASHINGTON, 19 March 2003 — The White House is expected to ask Congress for up to $90 billion to pay for a war with Iraq and other expenses within days of the start of combat, congressional and White House aides said Monday.
The bill would also include aid for Israel, a key US ally in the region, and funds for anti-terrorism efforts at home, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Two officials said President Bush could send the measure to Capitol Hill as early as Friday.
It was initially unclear how much of the measure would be to finance fighting against Iraq, though one official said the figure assumed one month of combat.
Private analysts have estimated the costs of a brief war in the $40 billion to $60 billion range, including the expenses of moving the US force to and from the region but excluding the costs of a postwar US role in the region. They have said the aftermath, with the United States rebuilding Iraq and keeping peacekeeping troops there, could cost more than $100 billion, depending on the scope of the reconstruction effort and the duration of the US stay.
