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TechnoratiSTOCKHOLM - Global military spending rose 3.5 percent last year to $1.2 trillion as U.S. costs for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan mounted, a European research body said on Monday in an annual study.
The United States spent $529 billion, slightly less than the entire GDP of the Netherlands, on military operations in 2006, up 5 percent over the previous year, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in its latest year book. 
"Taking both immediate and long-term factors into account, the overall past and future costs until year 2016 to the USA for the war in Iraq have been estimated at $2,267 billion," it said.
Military spending in China, which is modernising its People's Liberation Army, climbed to an estimated $49.5 billion last year from $44.3 billion in 2005.
"China's military expenditure continued to increase rapidly, for the first time surpassing that of Japan and hence making China the biggest military spender in Asia and the fourth biggest in the world," the institute said.
The institute, which conducts independent research on international security, armaments and disarmament, said Japan cut military expenditure in 2006 for a fifth year running and was focusing its military budget primarily on missile defence.
China and Japan, Britain and France accounted for about 4 to 5 percent each of global military expenditure last year, SIPRI said. The five biggest spenders' share of global military expenses was nearly two-thirds of the total.
The United States and Russia were the largest arms suppliers in 2002 through 2006, each accounting for about 30 percent of global shipments, while deliveries from EU members made up another 20 percent, the institute said.
"Almost 50 percent more conventional weapons, by volume, were transferred internationally in 2006 than in 2002, according to data gathered by SIPRI," it added.
China and India remained the largest arms importers in the world, while five Middle Eastern countries figured among the top ten importers of arms globally.
"While much media attention was given to arms deliveries to Iran, mainly from Russia, deliveries from the USA and European countries to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were significantly larger," the institute said.
© Reuters 2007
21 Comments so far
Show AllThis shows where the U.S. priorities lie.
I believe that this number is probably low. I doubt if it includes all of the costs of the spy, space, police agencies, health care for veterans, foreign aid used for arms and other groups that exist to support the corporate military welfare system.
The empire budget for war spending is out of step with the desires of the American people. In 2002 the following poll narrowed on American attitudes about how much to spend. It is telling. Majorities of Americans wanted in 2002 to cut military spending.
http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/DefenseSpending/DefenseTerror_Aug02/De...
Some excerpts:
Spending Relative to Potential Enemies
5. Asked how much the US should spend on defense as compared to countries that are potential enemies, a strong majority proposes a level far below the actual level. . . .
The most popular of three options-chosen by 45%-- was the lowest spending level offered, in which the United States would spend "a bit more than its most powerful enemy." Thirty-six percent chose the option of the US spending "about as much as all of its potential enemies combined." Just 18% chose the option of spending "twice as much as all of its potential enemies combined."
Fulfilling Defense Commitments Multilaterally
6. A very strong majority says that defense spending should be based on the assumption that Washington will fulfill its obligations to protect other countries as part of multilateral efforts, not on its own.
It's amazing how we can find the cash for this sort of thing, yet universal healthcare is poo-poohed.
WHERE do they find this money? From the poor, working, and middle class? Certainly not ther wealthy.
Our elites spend more than they take in. Talk about living beyond one's means. We're writing bad checks.
And where is it getting us? More hated maybe?
This beast is too heavy to carry its own weight. America will fall, and it will be Her own fault.
Read former CIA analyst Chalmers Johnson's 'Nemesis' Last Days of the American Republic' and you'll see clearly the neo-cons ploy that (regardless of 9/11) was always aimed at bringing us to our current level of military expenditure. We are building a vast global empire of military bases and outposts around the world while rewarding with bribes & pay-offs nations who allow them on their terrain making them job & income dependent on us as we then blatantly manipulate their economies. We also punish those refusing to play ball & accept our bases (or secret prisons) on their soil by methodically fomenting political unrest & undermining their economies. This strategy-now evolved into global empire building of buying friends under the guise of briging 'peace & democracy' - has been practised for years throughout our own union with the calulated dependency of all states receiving major federal military budget windfalls while their Representatives & Senators feed from it like pigs at a trough - suborned by the Pentagon in the same way so many nations are today.
They've stolen it from us to create their wealth.
children of the world: i'm hungry.
adults of the world: have a bullet.
Increases in military spending is exactly what the bastard American infested military industrial complex wants. Peace, truth, and justice are their greatest enemies.
At the end of the cold war the nations stopped spending so much on weapons. Now with the too terrible to contemplate PNAC bastards in the white house and pentagon, many nations see a definite need to arm themselfs so that the US won't screw them around or try to colonize them. These other nations are truly "defending" theirselfs.
The US department of defense is in fact a department of violent agression, not defense. It is a menace to mankind and should be permanently shut down.
If that monstrosity defends anything at all, it is the "right" of insanely greedy barbarians to rape, rob, butcher, and colonize (ie: expand the American empire) the most vulnerable, in gross violation of international laws, and total disregard of basic human rights.
Cancerous cells suck the life force out of healthy cells.
The PNAC bastards in the white house and pentagon are doing the same thing.
Turning the other cheek does not seem to be a good idea in this situation. Drastic situations require drastic responses.
Dennis Kucinich is a clear light in this dark night.
Kalia is right. China is not the problem. China is the scapegoat, a position based upon ignorance and racisim.
Why blame China? Just like any self-respecting nation and people it is trying to defend itself. At least the Chinese have shown they do not like the idea of any foreign troops occupying their mother land. I would expect nothing less from any self respecting people.
I have my social security chart which shows how much I'd earned since the year 1953, thru 2001. I added it all up and multiplied the total by 15%, figured that is maybe about how much I'de paid into income taxes during those years. The total figure is almost enough to fly a B-52H on an six hour training mission.
So what is everyone complaining about here? I've done my part to insure we are safe from the evil empires of the world. They are out there!! Our current administration has taken serious and brilliant actions to keep them in check and insure our safety. With our borders now under strict control and the Iraq war won and about over, with Iran scared shitless of our threats, (especially those from Senator Joe Liberman) we should all be tickeled to death.
Quit bitchin about a paltry trillion here, or a trilion there, it's just money and we have tons of it; if it runs out, we just print more. Don't worry, be happy. My grandkids don't agree with me. Dumb shits.
Just wait till we rebuild our army or better yet - we could save a lot by outsourcing the entire process to Blackwater and the rest.
Look at the incentives, no daily death count, no legal action by people who die, no pesky congressional oversight, and unlimited cash from people cowed by fear of terrorism and internal surveillance.
Each day that goes by without a major correction in our priorities and policies convinces me that we will face a massive catastrophe and collapse before we change our ways.
There are many possible candidates for the catastrophe. I am betting on a financial one involving the improper and antiquated way we calculate economic growth that is not really there. Enron on a massive scale.
A random prediction by someone and they will be labeled a new guru. They will be as valuable as Nostradamus as a predictor only understood after the fact.
Lest everyone forget, our economy depends on the arms spending. Why do you think our economy is booming during this war? Why do you think the establishment (Dems as well as Reps) does not really want this war to end. Congress had its chance but would not stand up to the military-industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us about 50 years ago.
Before you poo-poo these ideas - read Norm Solomon's latest book about how we need wars to support our policies and economy.
Just the fact that the US alone accounts for half the defense spending in the world should tell you how obscene this is. Espcially because its usually our NATO allies that are closest to us on that list. How about we spend $100 billion a year to deter China? A few dollars to keep those evil Canadians and Mexicans from invading us. Toss in a few more tens of billions for special forces ops against Terrrorists and I think we'd be covered.
Then take say $100 billion to $200 billion a year and split it between solving problems in this country, like education and health care and our infrastructure, and spend the rest overseas helping people out.
The domestic spending would make us all more secure. We'd be healthier, and would have to be insecure wondering what would happen if we got sick tomorrow. And a more educated society is likely to have less violent crime. Spending on all of these things would produce jobs in this country.
Overseas, if we were really going around trying to end hunger and get everyone clean drinking water, do you think as many people would hate us.
Get this about suicide bombers. There's no shortage of explosives in the world. And any idiot can wire up a detonator and put the explosives in a vest or car. The key piece that is in short supply is people who either hate their lives so much that they want to end them, or who hate us so much that they want to kill us and are willing to die trying.
Its our military and our policies that help to create both of those conditions. If we spent our money on trying to help people instead on a military that is going to attack them and destory their lives, then this key component in a suicide bomb would become rarer and rarer. That's the way for us to be safer against Terror.
Military spending since WWII by the U.S. is the primary reason our nation is responsible for an estimatted 20 to 30 million deaths during that time
And when people like Kucinich talk about providing Universal Health Care our leaders in the Senate and Congress argue that it will increase taxes on the people. How about we just eliminate spending on arms and provide people and the veterans with much needed health care?
Now I know why we cannot afford to build the schools we need, pay teachers a fair wage, fully subsidize higher education for all who deserve it, provide universal health care, rebuild our slums, eliminate poverty, clear our polluted air and waterways, etc. We're too busy blowing everything up.
$1.2 trillion dollars is the difference in income of the top 1% for 2005 if their share of personal income had stayed at the 10% level of 1981 vs 2005 level of 22.93%.
It is $8K per person of the labor force.
so dont forget to add that $529 Billion to the current price of gas...a truly hidden cost
Mutual Assured Destruction has returned once more to expose the suicidal madness of our human species.
1.2 trillion could buy alotta solar panels.
If only we can get that number up to 1.5 trillion, the world might be safe again!