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| Bush Seeks More Money for Missile Defense in New Budget |
| 2004-01-31 |
| The Bush administration is seeking a big increase in spending for missile defense next year, setting the program on course to have a bare-bones system in place by the end of this year and up to 30 interceptors on land and at sea by the end of 2005. Thatâs what he said heâd do. The money is part of a proposed $401.7 billion Pentagon budget that doesnât include money for ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Officials last year went back to Congress for $87 billion beyond their budget to fund those missions, and documents obtained by The Associated Press show they expect to have to ask for money beyond this new budget as well. The documents say they donât expect to do that until calendar year 2005, after Novemberâs presidential election. The request for the Missile Defense Agency is $9.14 billion, according to a copy of the budget that President Bush plans to send to Congress on Monday. That would be nearly 20 percent above last yearâs $7.6 billion for the agency. The proposed spending is aimed at having 20 ground-based missile interceptors and up to 10 sea-based interceptors by the end of the 2005, as well as upgraded radars and command and control. Pentagon documents say the total military budget of $401.7 billion for fiscal year 2005 is 7 percent more than 2004âs budget of $375.3 billion, which didnât include the $87 billion supplemental later sought - $20 billion for Iraq reconstruction and about $67 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Documents obtained by The AP on Friday indicate that budget planners focused on transforming the military, improving intelligence capabilities and further streamlining Pentagon management. According to the documents mistakenly posted on the Pentagon Web site, the budget request for buying aircraft will decline from $2.1 billion to $1.8 billion. The proposal also includes more money for spare parts for Army vehicles such as tanks, armored personnel carriers and Humvees: $20.1 million instead of $17.9 million. Soldiers have complained that using the vehicles so heavily in the harsh environment of Iraq has caused them to break down more frequently. There is also a slight increase for ammunition. Personnel needs, including salaries and benefits, were put at $105 billion, up from $98.3 billion this year. Other major categories in the $401.7 billion total include $141 billion for operation and maintenance; $70 billion for research, development and testing; $5.3 billion for construction and $4.2 billion for family housing. The Pentagon budget represents 17.8 percent of the federal budget, compared with 15.3 percent in fiscal year 2000, according to other documents obtained by The AP. Thatâs 3.6 percent of gross domestic product, compared with 2.9 percent in 2000. Thereâs the tax cost of the WoT: about 0.7 percent of GDP. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Don't forget our friends Down Under, Hyper! The Ozzies are worried about all of the above, especially the French, who ventured down to their neighbor NZ to blow up that Greenpeace ship and they've definitely said that they want to be *in* on our SDI, plus they're adding some tech help in the bargain! |
| Posted by: Jennie Taliaferro 2004-1-31 8:16:03 PM |
| #1 "The request for the Missile Defense Agency is $9.14 billion"... A deal at twice the price. Plus, with sales of the system (with some âadvantage-USAâ modifications) to Japan (..|.. NK), Taiwan (..|.. China), Israel (..|.. Splodydopes), and the UK (..|.. the French), it will more than pay for itself in short order. |
| Posted by: Hyper 2004-1-31 9:53:44 AM |