US war bill reaches $20bn

US war bill reaches $20bn

By Nick Childs
BBC Pentagon correspondent

The US military's role is changing

The Pentagon says the war in Iraq has the United States cost $20bn so far.

It says it expects to establish a military headquarters in the country as it moves from combat to support and stability operations.

It expects that the cost of maintaining troops in the country will be $2bn a month, at least for the next few months.

Major General Stanley McChrystal of the US Joint Staff said it was too early to say how many troops would be needed in Iraq or for how long.

But the US military is already preparing the groundwork for an extended stay.

The Pentagon has not given an exact breakdown of its figures, but said personnel costs accounted for about $6bn, and munitions about $3bn.

New tasks

All out fighting may be all but over, but according to General McChrystal, US forces still haven't moved into all parts of the country.

Bullets bite a big hole in the budget

At the same time they're already switching rapidly to what the general described as support and stability operations.

He said he expected that the United States would set up some form of military headquarters in Iraq and that the military commander, General Tommy Franks, would probably divide the country into separate sectors looked after by the US army, marines and other coalition forces.

NICK CHILDS, BBC NEWS, THE PENTAGON