Editor’s Note: If you believe a single word that comes out of their mouths, that is.
U.S. military operations against Islamic State in Iraq have cost an average of $7.5 million per day since they began in mid-June, the Pentagon said on Friday, a figure that means the department has spent more than $500 million on the conflict.
Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, told a briefing the expense of U.S. operations against Islamic State in Iraq had varied since U.S. forces became involved on June 16 but on average “it’s costing us about $7.5 million per day.”
“As our op (operational) tempo and as our activities have intensified, so, too, has the cost,” Kirby said, noting that the figures were based on a snapshot of expenses between June 16 and Aug. 26.
He did not offer an estimate of the Pentagon’s total costs so far, but an average cost of $7.5 million per day for 71 days would mean the department has spent roughly $532 million.
By comparison, the Pentagon has been spending roughly $1.3 billion per week on Afghanistan, analysts said.