Analysts: Poor Planning Boosted Iraq Costs

By John Ydstie

Published September 11, 2003 at 12:00 AM EDT

The Bush administration's recent request for $87 billion to fund postwar efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan has pushed the cost of intervention in Iraq far above early White House estimates. Analysts say the White House failed to plan for costs associated with looting and sabotage and overestimated Iraq's oil revenue potential. Hear NPR's John Ydstie.

John Ydstie

John Ydstie has covered the economy, Wall Street, and the Federal Reserve at NPR for nearly three decades. Over the years, NPR has also employed Ydstie's reporting skills to cover major stories like the aftermath of Sept. 11, Hurricane Katrina, the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He was a lead reporter in NPR's coverage of the global financial crisis and the Great Recession, as well as the network's coverage of President Trump's economic policies. Ydstie has also been a guest host on the NPR news programs Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. Ydstie stepped back from full-time reporting in late 2018, but plans to continue to contribute to NPR through part-time assignments and work on special projects.

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