U.S. Tax Dollars Account For 48% of Record World Military Spending

US drives world military spending to new high

STOCKHOLM - Global military spending shot to a record high in 2005, with the United States accounting for nearly half the total, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on Monday.

Military spending reached $1.118 trillion (885 billion euros) in 2005, or $173 dollars for every person on earth. This was an increase of 3.4 percent from 2004, it said in its annual report.

Most of the annual rise was due to increased US spending, which was boosted by conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan . . .

"The USA is responsible for 48 percent of the world total, distantly followed by the UK, France, Japan and China with four to five percent each," SIPRI noted.

US President George W. Bush's "proclivity" to use military force appeared undiminished and was restrained only by its costly presence in Iraq, the report said.

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