‘A bill that will be due:’ Pentagon’s Middle East buildup costs $1.6B
Lawmakers are seeking ways to pay for the unplanned bill.
By LARA SELIGMAN, JOE GOULD and CONNOR O’BRIEN
01/24/2024 12:35 PM EST
The Pentagon estimates the U.S. military buildup in the Middle East since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel will cost $1.6 billion, a bill the department is unable to pay due to lawmakers’ inability to pass a budget, according to two U.S. officials.
The Defense Department recently sent the estimate to congressional appropriators in response to questions, said the officials, who were granted anonymity to speak about information that hasn’t been made public.
The overall number includes the cost to send additional warships, fighter jets and equipment to the region, and keep them there for the last four months, the officials said. It does not include the cost of the missiles the U.S. military has expended striking Houthi positions in Yemen or knocking down drones and missiles in the Red Sea, they said, because there is not enough data yet to make those calculations.
Over a full year, the cost for the military surge could rise to $2.2 billion, according to the estimate.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/24/pentagon-middle-east-buildup-cost-00137577
