The War On Terror. The Cost and Casualties of War.
"Members of 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) place American flags at headstones in Arlington National Cemetery for Flags-In, May 26, 2016, in Arlington, Va. Over 230,000 American flags are placed at each headstone in ANC before Memorial Day. (U.S. Army Photo by Rachel Larue/Arlington National Cemetery/released)" under public domain by Arlington National Cemetery
The War on Terror, launched in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, resulted in significant human and financial costs. The conflict in Iraq, which began in 2003, has been particularly costly in terms of human life.
In the lead up to the war, the Brookings Institution released an op-ed in September 2002 that projected a significant number of Iraqi casualties. However, when the U.S. military invaded Iraq in March 2003, it did not keep an official count of Iraqi deaths.
The U.S. military did track the number of U.S. military deaths and injuries, with over 1,000 U.S. military casualties reported in September 2004. The deadliest day for U.S. forces in Iraq occurred on January 27, 2005, with 37 soldiers killed in a helicopter crash.
While the number of U.S. military casualties declined in subsequent years, civilian casualties continued to rise. In 2005, a study estimated that 25,000 Iraqi civilians had been killed since the invasion. In 2007, a new study estimated that the number of violent Iraqi deaths since the 2003 invasion was closer to 151,000.
In addition to civilian deaths, there were also a significant number of non-combat related deaths among U.S. forces. For example, reservist deaths were high in Iraq, and a 2003 report by Human Rights Watch found that hundreds of civilian deaths in Iraq were preventable.
There were also reports of U.S. operatives killing detainees during interrogations in Afghanistan and Iraq. These reports were released by the American Civil Liberties Union in 2005 and 2007, respectively.
“IVAW-LA members stand at attention while Taps is played in memorial of their brothers and sisters in uniform who were killed in Iraq. The memorial was held immediately after Operation First Casualty III in Santa Monica, CA” by Jaylemeux under CC BY-SA 4.0
The use of body armor by U.S. troops in Iraq was found to be effective in reducing injuries. However, "friendly fire" incidents were common, with a 2003 NBC News report noting that more than one in three U.S. troops killed in Iraq were victims of "friendly fire."
The war also took a toll on military families. In 2009, a report by NPR noted that Fort Carson was "quietly mourning" the war's deaths. In that same year, Forbes reported that more oil in Afghanistan meant more U.S. deaths.
While the human cost of the War on Terror is significant, the financial cost is also staggering. According to a 2008 Wired report, the U.S. spent $506 billion on the war effort by that point. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were also expensive for private contractors, with Foreign Policy reporting in 2011 that contractor deaths had surpassed U.S. military losses in both countries.
Despite the human and financial costs, public awareness of the war's fatalities plummeted in 2008, according to a Pew Research Center report. This lack of attention was highlighted by a 2008 Guardian report that questioned the real death toll in Iraq.
The financial cost of the War on Terror has been significant, with estimates ranging from $2.8 trillion to $6 trillion. The cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been the primary driver of these expenses, with the United States spending an average of $4 billion per month in Iraq and $5 billion per month in Afghanistan. The wars have also resulted in significant human costs, with estimates of total casualties ranging from 480,000 to 1.2 million, including both military personnel and civilians. The wars have also had significant impacts on U.S. military personnel, with over 6,800 U.S. service members losing their lives in these conflicts, and many more suffering physical and mental injuries. The financial and human costs of the War on Terror will continue to be felt for many years to come, and will likely shape U.S. foreign policy for decades.
Written in part in collaboration with ChatGPT on March 29, 2023
Previous: The War On Terror. America’s Use of Torture (Part 10).
Next: The War On Terror. Lasting Effects of Burn Pits.
Putin Is A War Criminal
Russia Is A Terrorist State:
Part 1 (1990s)
Part 2 (2000s)
Part 3 (2011 - 2016)
Part 4 (2016 - 2019)
Part 5 (2020 - 2021)
Part 6: (2022+)
Sources for The War On Terror. The Cost and Casualties of War:
U.S. Troops' Injuries in Iraq Showed Body Armor's Value - The Washington Post May 4, 2003
Baghdad’s Death Toll Assessed - Los Angeles Times May 18, 2003
No regrets or culprits, just cash for series of random killings - The Guardian November 25, 2003
‘Friendly fire’ is all too common - NBC News December 10, 2003
Non-hostile deaths in Iraq raise alarm - The Baltimore Sun January 10, 2004
U.S. and Coalition Casualties - CNN August 11, 2004
Deadliest day for U.S. in Iraq war - CNN January 27, 2005
Deadliest day for U.S. in Iraq war - The Baltimore Sun January 27, 2005
IRAQ: The Insurgency: By the Numbers - Council on Foreign Relations February 16, 2005
25 000 civilians have been killed in Iraq since invasion - NIH PubMed July 23, 2005
Whites Account for Most of Military’s Fatalities - Los Angeles Times September 24, 2005
The Iraq Syndrome - Foreign Affairs October 1, 2005
Reservist deaths high in Iraq - The Seattle Times October 11, 2005
Almost 70 Percent Of U.S. Casualties In Iraq Under Age 30 - MTV October 26, 2005
844 in U.S. Military Killed in Iraq in 2005 - The New York Times January 1, 2006
Friendly Fire Deaths At All-Time Low - CBS News March 11, 2006
Photos confirm US raid child deaths - Al Jazeera December 9, 2006
ACLU Releases Files on Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq - ACLU April 12, 2007
Iraq: The Human Cost - MIT Center for International Studies November 29, 2007
Military Deaths Under Clinton and Bush - FactCheck.org January 29, 2008
Iraq conflict has killed a million Iraqis: survey - Reuters January 30, 2008
Awareness of Iraq War Fatalities Plummets - Pew Research Center March 12, 2008
What is the real death toll in Iraq? - The Guadian March 19, 2008
The Iraq War Dataset: $506 Billion Spent, 4,002 Dead - WIRED March 28, 2008
Afghanistan: Civilian Deaths From Airstrikes - Human Rights Watch September 8, 2008
'08 saw shift in Iraq, Afghan troop death tolls - NBC News December 31, 2008
Is the Army lying about friendly fire deaths? - salon January 15, 2009
IN THE BUSH PRESIDENCY: HOW MANY DIED? - MIT March 27, 2009
Iraq air raids hit mostly women and children - Independent April 16, 2009
Fort Carson Quietly Mourns War Deaths - NPR October 10, 2009
For U.S. Military, More Oil Means More Death - Forbes November 12, 2009
2009 Deadliest Year for U.S. in Afghanistan - ABC News December 31, 2009
The Things Civilians Don't Understand About War - NPR April 12, 2010
THE HUMAN COST - CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN - ACLU April 26, 2010
Grim Milestone: 1,000 Americans Dead - The New York Times May 18, 2010
U.S. says did not under-report Iraq civilian deaths - Reuters October 25, 2010
The Untold Stories of Jewish U.S. Soldiers Fallen in Afghanistan, Iraq - HAARETZ February 11, 2011
Afghanistan, Iraq Wars Killed 132,000 Civilians, Report Says - WIRED June 29, 2011
In Iraq, youngest U.S. troops bore heaviest toll - CBS News August 20, 2011
Iraq war in figures - BBC News December 14, 2011
A BETTER STAB AT ESTIMATING HOW MANY DIED IN THE IRAQ WAR - Pacific Standard October 15, 2013
Iraq war claimed half a million lives, study finds - Al Jazeera America October 15, 2003
Iraq study estimates war-related deaths at 461,000 - BBC News October 16, 2013
The names of the 6,828 Americans who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq - QUARTZ May 25, 2015
Where Is Outcry Over Children Killed by U.S.-Led Forces? - Scientific American September 10, 2015
Some 2,500 Americans Have Died in Afghanistan and Iraq Under Obama - Rolling Stone May 30, 2016
The War in Afghanistan: By The Numbers - NBC News August 21, 2017
2003 – 2011 | The Iraq War - Council on Foreign Relations October 11, 2017
US War on Terror Kills Nearly 500,000 in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan - VOA News November 8, 2018
US ‘war on terror’ has killed over half a million people: study - Al Jazeera November 9, 2018
Foreign Workers for U.S. Are Casualties Twice Over - ProPublica June 19, 2019
Afghanistan: Record number of women and children killed or wounded - United Nations July 26, 2021
Costs of the Afghanistan war, in lives and dollars - AP News August 16, 2021
9/11, the 'war on terror' and the global consequences - DW September 10, 2021
The Long-Reaching Human Toll of Sept. 11, by the Numbers - U.S. News September 10, 2021
20 years, $6 trillion, 900,000 lives - Vox September 11, 2021
CASUALTY STATUS - U.S. Department of Defense March 20, 2023