President Marks 5th Anniversary of War in Iraq

March 19 marks the beginning of the sixth year of the Iraq War. Both Senators Barack Obama and Hilliary Clinton campaign with a promise to bring the troops home. Senator John McCain promises to stay the course. Meanwhile, over at the Pentagon today, President George W. Bush says: "Tens and thousands of our troops poured across the Iraqi border to liberate the Iraqi people and remove a regime that threatened free nationals." He says the surge in Iraq: "Opened the door to a major strategic victory in the broader war on terror."

The New York Times reports that the Pentagon estimates the cost of the Iraq War at 50 or 60 billion dollars.  Adds, the Times, the Congressional Budget Office says its more likely 2 or 3 trillion dollars.  One fact is certain: By the end of the month American fatalities in Iraq will be 4,000 lives.

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March 2008 - White House photo by Eric Draper.