Money for Nothing
The Bush administration has long been secretive about the costs of the war in Iraq, trying to minimize the political impact it would have on the administration. Now, we find that the Pentagon is dipping into emergency funds to cover costs:

A relentless insurgency in Iraq has prompted the Pentagon to begin spending money from a $25 billion emergency fund that Bush administration officials had once said would not be needed this year, officials said Tuesday.

Unable to tap into regular 2005 funding until the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year, the Pentagon has already spent more than $2 billion from the emergency fund, which President Bush requested from Congress in May to pay for a war that is longer and more violent than he and his Pentagon strategists had predicted. The money will help pay for equipment for troops heading to Iraq this fall.

The need to dip into the fund, which also covers the war in Afghanistan, highlights the intensity of an Iraqi insurgency that has virtually wrested control of several cities from 135,000 American troops and allied forces still operating in Iraq.

[...]

Although Army and Marine officials warned Congress of a coming funding shortfall in February, administration officials at that time said they would not need additional money for Iraq and Afghanistan this year. In May, however, the administration sought the $25 billion emergency fund -- calling it an "insurance policy" that probably would not be needed.

The war in Iraq is costing about $4.4 billion a month, and had reached a total cost of $86.2 billion as of June, according to Pentagon figures.

If the additional money were not available this month, armed services either would have to cut other programs to shift money to the war or face the prospect of new troops going to battle without sufficient body armor, armored Humvees and other protective