Iraq and Afghan operation costs soar

LONDON (Reuters) - The cost of Britain's military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is forecast to almost double to more than three billion pounds this year, a parliamentary committee said on Monday.

The Defence Select Committee said in a report that the government was now expecting operational costs in both theatres to be 3.29 billion pounds for this financial year, a 94 percent increase on last year.

In Afghanistan, forecast costs have risen by 48 percent to 1.42 billion pounds in 2007/08, an increase which the report's authors said was unsurprising given the increase in British forces there over the year and the "high operational tempo".

But in Iraq, the report said a 52 percent forecast increase in costs was significant and surprising, despite a reduction in troop numbers.

The report called on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide a breakdown of the increase in capital costs in Iraq, and explain when the costs there might begin to fall.

The committee recommended that parliament should approve the extra costs "given the importance of ensuring that our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are properly resourced", but said it was important for the government to be clear on where the money was being spent.

"Few people will object to the investment being made in better facilities and equipment for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan," committee chairman James Arbuthnot said in a statement.

"However, this estimate represents a lot of public money. The MoD needs to provide better information about what it is all being spent on."

(Reporting by Kate Kelland. Editing by Steve Addison)