Iraq violence pushing war over budget

Increased violence in Iraq is pushing the cost of the war over budget, threatening a $4 billion shortfall by late summer, the top U.S. military officer said Wednesday.

Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the recent decision to extend the stay of some 20,000 troops will cost roughly $700 million more over three months. The White House is keeping open the possibility it will seek additional funds before the end of this election year.

"When the service chiefs last talked about this, there was, I think, a $4 billion shortfall," Myers told the House Armed Services Committee. "We thought we could get through all of August. We'd have to figure out how to do September."

The war is costing about $4.7 billion a month, officials said. Defense officials are studying their budget, which runs through Sept. 30, to determine whether some money can be moved from purchase programs or other Pentagon accounts, Myers said.

On a day when nearly 70 people were killed by suicide bombers in Iraq's southern city of Basra, Myers and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz testified for a second day on Capitol Hill. Their appearance came at one of five hearings scheduled this week to review the situation in Iraq.

Suicide attackers unleashed car bombings against police buildings in Iraq's biggest Shiite city Wednesday morning, striking rush-hour crowds and killing at least 68 people, including 16 children incinerated in their school buses.

The attacks wounded about 200 people and marked a revival of devastating suicide bombings, which had not been seen during this month's battles between U.S. forces and homegrown guerrillas across Iraq.

Basra Gov. Wael Abdul-Latif, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council, blamed al-Qaida, but a U.S. counterterrorism official said it was premature to make such judgments.

U.S. casualties

American troops this month have endured the worst casualties of the year-old campaign, with 100 killed. For part of April, many lawmakers were in their districts for spring recess and heard people's concerns about Iraq.

At the hearings this week, lawmakers focused on U.S. troop strength, the transfer of power June 30 to Iraqis and extended troop deployments.

They also wanted to know what the Pentagon would do if more troops are needed; Myers said the military is are working up a plan for who could go. Lawmakers hoped more foreign troops might come to Iraq; Wolfowitz said not many would while the violence continues.

Some lawmakers complained the Bush administration consistently has denied them information about Iraq over past 18 months.

Because of increased costs, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he plans to add $20 billion for the current budget year to the 2005 defense bill now being considered.

Several lawmakers complained anew that the administration's 2005 budget request for the Defense Department was sent to them with no money in it for the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Administration officials have acknowledged they will need $50 billion for those wars. But the officials said they would not ask for it until after January -- and after the presidential election in November.

"The administration would be well served here to come forward now, be honest about this, because the continuity and the confidence in this policy is going to be required to sustain it," Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., said in a television interview. "And that means be honest with the Congress, be honest with the American people."

"They are simply trying to conceal the cost of this operation until after the election," said Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

Republican lawmakers planned to meet today with national security adviser Condoleezza Rice in the Capitol for an update on developments in Iraq.