The war in Libya has already cost 50 million
A month and a half after the start of hostilities, the war in Libya has already cost 50 million euros to France. Gerard Longuet, the defense minister, that figure dropped Tuesday before the Committee on National Defence, says Les Echos.
The invoice missiles fired by fighter planes is around 30 million euros each cruise missile costing nearly a million. We add the operating costs of aircraft: the flight time of a Rafale is estimated at 40,000 euros and time response of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to 50,000 euros. Premiums paid to military also weigh on the bill, amounting to nearly 10 million.
The war is not over and the cost of operations should increase if the conflict stalled. But whatever the final cost of these unforeseen expenses will be funded.The budget of the Ministry of Defence was counting on 900 million euros for external operations in 2011, an amount identical to that of 2010, with approximately $ 500 million for Afghanistan. Of this amount, 630 million euros have been budgeted and 50 million are expected from the UN, says Les Echos. Thus, 220 million are already short and we must add the cost of expenditures in Libya. Part of the money spent in Libya are at present drawn from the budgets of the military trainings that may not be sufficient, however. Time and budget constraints, the sum could be more difficult to refinance.
To international funding Libyan rebels
The "contact group" on Libya has agreed Thursday on the creation of a mechanism of financial support to insurgents fighting against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi.The special fund will be temporary "operational within the next few weeks," said the head of French diplomacy Alain Juppe, after a group meeting in Rome. "The temporary funding mechanism set in Doha is now well defined" so as to be "operational in the coming weeks," said the French minister told reporters.
After the announcement of the participation of the United States, France "also define" the height of his contributions soon, he added.
The National Transitional Council (CNT) formed by the insurgent wants to be granted loans totaling two to three billion dollars to cover its needs for food and medicines, to ensure essential services in areas it controls and to pay salaries.About 250 million has "already" been collected for humanitarian aid to Libya, said the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.
This request has so far been examined carefully in the Western embassies, particularly because of legal obstacles that the Rome meeting was intended to circumvent.
The administration formed by the insurgents is far recognized only by France, Italy and Qatar.
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