World War II pulled the U.S. out of the Great Depression, but will 'Gulf War II' yank the U.S. out of her current economic anemia? This time around, economists warn, war will likely depress - rather than stimulate - the economy.

• Bombs over Baghdad could precipitate skyrocketing oil prices - possibly forcing another massive airline bailout and eroding our weak economic recovery.
  
  
• The Gulf War cost $80 billion in 2002 dollars, 80% of which was paid by America's allies. This time, the U.S. would pick up the entire tab - estimated to cost $80 to $100 billion.
  
  
• The war could force a choice between deeper red ink and domestic program cuts. Gulf War II's price tag amounts to three times what the federal government spends on K-12 education.
  
  
• Regime change in Iraq would require a protracted peacekeeping and rebuilding effort. Experts conclude that rebuilding the Iraqi economy would cost $50 to $150 billion and commit tens of thousands of U.S. troops for up to a decade.

Following the Gulf War, media coverage exposed the presence of Gulf War Syndrome - while veterans struggled for government recognition. Over one-third of Gulf War veterans sought medical attention for serious illnesses while being denied compensation. Concerned veterans wonder if the next generation of service men and women will be exposed to the very same unresolved health hazards - chemical warfare agents, experimental protective drugs, depleted uranium munitions, and oil-well fire pollution.

Is the White House understating the economic and health costs of an attack on Iraq? Would 'Gulf War II' swell the ranks of willing saboteurs and spark new rounds of terrorist violence? Can we afford to repair the unforeseen damages with a deficit budget that already trades on our domestic futures?