BREAKING: Bush escalation will cost $6.8 billion.

NBC News reports that President Bush will announce an escalation of 21,500 troops — 17,500 to Baghdad and 4,000 to Anbar province. The cost of the new strategy will be $6.8 billion.

UPDATE: Reuters reports, “The first wave of troops are expected to arrive in five days, with others coming in additional waves. Under the plan, the Iraqi government will deploy additional Iraqi troops to Baghdad with a first brigade deploying February 1 and two more by February 15.”