Update: Cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

There haven't been many reports posted recently about the escalating costs for the war in Iraq and the oft forgotten war in Afghanistan.

A recent Reuters article spoke to many of the expected budget points, but here are some highlights:

• The US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could cost taxpayers a total of $2.4 trillion by 2017
• CBO (nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office) estimated that interest costs alone from 2001-2017 could total more than $700 billion
• So far, Congress has given Bush $604 billion for the two wars
• In Iraq alone, the US is spending about $11 billion a month, with costs escalating
• CBO estimated that between 2008 and 2017, the wars could cost slightly more than $1 trillion, assuming overall troop strength is cut to 75,000 by 2013.
  (Currently, there are about 196,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.)