SIX DAYS OF ODYSSEY DAWN (LIBYA) COST $400 MILLION

SIX DAYS OF ODYSSEY DAWN (LIBYA) COST $400 MILLION

The first six days of Odyssey Dawn, the US war in Libya, cost an estimated $400 million, according to a new report (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service.

"Using operational details provided by DOD and DOD cost factors, a 'bottoms-up' estimate of the cost of initial operations suggests that in the first six days of operations, DOD has spent roughly $400 million," the report said.

"U.S. participation in Operation Odyssey Dawn and NATO operations around Libya raises a number of questions for Congress, including the role of Congress in authorizing the use of force, the costs of the operation, the desired politico-strategic end state, the role of U.S. military forces in an operation under international command, and many others," said the CRS report, which fleshed out many of those questions.

See "Operation Odyssey Dawn (Libya): Background and Issues for Congress," March 28, 2011.