Since the murders of nearly 3000 civilians in the felling of the NY Trade Towers on September 11, 2001, the United States has engaged the world in the longest and most costly war in world history

The ‘Costs of War’ project

The ‘Costs of War’ project, which involved more than 20 economists, anthropologists, lawyers, humanitarian personnel, and political scientists, provides new estimates of the total war cost as well as other direct and indirect human and economic costs of the U.S. military response to the 9/11 attacks. The project is the first comprehensive analysis of all U.S., coalition, and civilian casualties, including U.S. contractors. It also assesses many of the wars’ hidden costs, such as interest on war-related debt and veterans’ benefits.

Estimates by the ‘Costs of War’ project provide a comprehensive analysis of the total human, economic, social, and political cost of the U.S. War on Terror. Among the group’s main findings:

1. The U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan will cost between $3.2 and $4 trillion, including medical care and disability for current and future war veterans. This figure does not include substantial probable future interest on war-related debt.
2. More than 31,000 people in uniform and military contractors have died, including the Iraqi and Afghan security forces and other military forces allied with the United States.
3. By a very conservative estimate, 137,000 civilians have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan by all parties to these conflicts.
4. The wars have created more than 7.8 million refugees among Iraqis, Afghans, and Pakistanis.
5. Pentagon bills account for half of the budgetary costs incurred and are a fraction of the full economic cost of the wars.
6. Because the war has been financed almost entirely by borrowing, $185 billion in interest has already been paid on war spending, and another $1 trillion could accrue in interest alone through 2020.
7. Federal obligations to care for past and future veterans of these wars will likely total between $600-$950 billion. This number is not included in most analyses of the costs of war and will not peak until mid-century. …more