See, it's not just us who have slashed our defence budgets to the bone leaving us unable to undertake anything more than, say, sending a frigate to Gibralter. The American armed forces are equally pinched and a report by the Free Beacon site, courtesy of Drudge, says that the Pentagon will be forced to ask Congress for a handout if the president orders a strike on Syria because their coffers are so empty they actually echo!
The Pentagon leaders said unlike the 2011 military operations against Libya,
there are not enough operating funds to conduct the attack on Syria.
The administration during the first term cut $487 billion from defense
spending and another $55 billion under congressional sequestration legislation.
An additional $55 billion is slated to be cut next year.
Last April, under questioning from Rep. Mike Conaway (R., Texas) at a House
Armed Services Committee hearing April 11, Hagel said that if U.S. military
action is taking in Syria “it’s pretty clear that a supplemental would be
required.” Dempsey said during the same hearing that “It would take a
supplemental” funding for a Syria operation.
'According to sources' (dread words) the cost of any operation against Syria is likely "to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars". Of course, one must always beware of the habit of Generals and Admirals to take as much advantage (for which read 'cash') as possible from politicians 'stoopid' enough to talk themselves into a situation where using the military is the only possible action. My title contains a famous American saying, here's another which is probably doing the rounds at the Pentagon as they watch and chuckle at the incumbent in the White House wriggle on a hook of his own making, "Never give a sucker an even break!"
