Tom Cotton: Bombing Iran Would Take “Several Days,” Be Nothing Like Iraq War

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40. What would war with Iraq cost?

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/01/sproject.irq.war.cost/?

From Dana Bash
CNN Washington Bureau
Thursday, January 2, 2003 Posted: 9:08 AM EST (1408 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House is downplaying published reports of an estimated $50 billion to $60 billion price tag for a war with Iraq, saying it is "impossible" to estimate the cost at this time.

White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mitch Daniels told The New York Times in an interview published Tuesday that such a conflict could cost $50 billion to $60 billion -- the price tag of the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

But Trent Duffy, an OMB spokesman, said Daniels did not intend to imply in the Times interview that $50 billion to $60 billion was a hard White House estimate.

"He said it could -- could -- be $60 billion," Duffy said. "It is impossible to know what any military campaign would ultimately cost. The only cost estimate we know of in this arena is the Persian Gulf War, and that was a $60 billion event."