Saudi Arabia, Germany and Japan picked up just over 60% of the cost ($36 billion of the $61 billion tab) for the first Gulf war. Saudi Arabia and Germany of course, strongly oppose any new war in Iraq, and as such will almost certainly not contribute financially in any way. Japan, although more supportive of the U.S. position is mired in a decade-long economic slump and simply may not be able to contribute in the same fashion it did in 1991.

The rumble of this sub-issue has been slowly building in volume and momentum in U.S. political circles during recent weeks. Steven M. Kosiak, in a study last month for the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, estimated the cost of the war to be likely between $18 billion and $85 billion – the crucial variable in this extreme range being allied support combined with the issue of a U.N. resolution or not.

Some argue that Iraq’s vast oil reserves will cover some of the costs to the U.S. – this will almost certainly be detrimental to America’s ‘world relations’ problem. Many already see oil as the reason for the U.S. attacking Iraq, never mind just using it as a method to pay for the ‘service’ of ridding the world of a terrible dictator.

We’ve asked these questions here before. Can the American nation afford an $85 billion dollar price tag? Yet can it afford not to eliminate someone that harbours and supports terrorism? Does economic improvement or disaster lie on the horizon? In any case, the U.S. economy is heading toward uncharted waters – never before has the government combined major deficit spending with large tax breaks and a war. If the war is any bit successful, if the U.S. economy improves, the result will be an exponential hatred towards America. If on the other hand, the war is somewhat disastrous and the economy gets worse, we may be witnessing the beginning of something large…

Source: Washington Times