Iraq is worse than Vietnam

The cost of the war in Iraq has tripled:

from $48 billion in 2003 to $59 billion in 2004 to $81 billion in 2005 to an anticipated $94 billion in 2006, according to the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. ...

Annual war costs in Iraq are easily outpacing the $61 billion a year that the United States spent in Vietnam between 1964 and 1972, in today's dollars.

Why? Is it really desireable to have guys in the armed forces who only know how to shoot a gun, while hiring contractors to do the work that armed forces personnel could be doing, learning skills they could apply when the leave the services?

In and around Iraq, 53,000 people -- 52,000 of them contractors -- are maintaining and rebuilding lightly damaged equipment, a senior Senate defense aide said. Indian workers are refurbishing U.S. Humvees for $6 an hour.

Meanwhile, in a related story, are we getting our money's worth in the CIA? What used to cost $200 million a year, is about to reach $1 billion. I wonder how that compares to intelligence spending during the Cold War. Anyone want to take a guess? Anyone remember Osama bin Laden?