US Costs for Iraq War Top $320bn

America has spent more on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan than on all its foreign wars up to 1939, following the passage of a bill allowing $66bn (£35.8bn) in new funding for the Pentagon.

Spending on the three-year war in Iraq now totals $320bn (£174bn), with a further $89bn (£48bn) being spent on operations in Afghanistan.

The house of representatives passed the final version of the bill today by a 351-67 vote, after minimal debate last night. The total value of the legislation, including non-war spending, amounted to $94.5bn (£51bn).

America's involvement in the first world war, the Spanish-American war, the Mexican war, the war of 1812, and the war of independence cost $373bn (£202bn) over 18 years, against the $409bn (£222bn) spent on Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. The 1861-65 civil war cost a further $66bn (£36bn).

The spending on the two main fronts of the "war on terror" is also comparable to the amount of money generated by those countries' economies since 2003. Iraq's gross domestic product amounts to $90bn (£49bn) a year and Afghanistan generates $20bn in annual GDP (£11bn).

The spending bill has caused rancour in Washington, since it groups war spending with money dedicated to Hurricane Katrina relief and other emergency management. Members of congress have argued that this disguises the true cost of America's wars and makes it harder for the house and senate to block or modify such bills.

Washington's anti-terrorism spending has become of increasing concern in the US as many feel positive outcomes from the conflicts have failed to materialise. The former World Bank chief economist Joseph Stiglitz has claimed that the total cost of the Iraq war could amount to $2 trillion (£1.1 trillion), including lost productivity and casualties caused by troops leaving the US economy to fight.

Last month, a Washington defence research group said that secret spending by the Pentagon was worth $30bn, the highest level of such spending since the cold war.