The Staggering Cost of the Iraq War

Online, July 24, 2013 (Newswire.com) - It has been over ten years since the start of the Iraq War and the cost of it is still being calculated. It is likely that a true cost can never be established, but since 51% of Americans don't believe that the US won the war in Iraq, it is possible to assume that the costs-whatever they are-will outweigh the benefits.

Human Cost

4,486 American military troops and 3,418 American contractors were killed in Iraq between 2003 and February 2013. 318 allied troops and 10,819 Iraqi police and military were killed. The civilian death toll is not certain, but is estimated to be between 113,300 and 124,049. Obviously, there is no way to quantify these types of losses: the potential lost from shortened lives and the bereavement of family and friends is incalculable.

Adding to the human cost is an even higher number of troops were injured in the war. Many of these injuries were minor, but many were serious-amputations, spinal chord injuries, brain damage-and will impact the lives of the victim for ever. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder leaves no physical wounds, but can be just as difficult to recover from and is known to affect returned military personnel. Again, the effect this injuries have beyond the individual level are impossible to calculate but it is a safe assumption that the impact is significant.

Money

Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies calculated a total cost of $1.7 trillion from the war's start in 2003 to 2103. Adding on future costs related to the war, such as veteran's care and interest on loans taken out to pay for the war, the institute estimates the total cost by 2053 will be $3.9 trillion.

The monetary cost of the war shouldn't just be thought of in terms of numbers, but of the potential this money could have had if directed towards domestic issues like healthcare or education. One blogger speculates that the war funding could have paid for the US to develop a renewable energy system.

International Relations

In addition to the more tangible losses of the Iraq War, the war has had implications on the political mindset of Americans, manifesting in a reticence to get involved in additional conflicts. This trepidation is evident in public opinion polls: an MPO poll from March 2013 shows that only 8.2% of Americans want to get militarily involved in Syria, while a poll from December 2012 shows 67.2% want the US to extricate itself from the conflict in Afghanistan. The long-term effect this attitude will have on international relations will not be seen for a long time, but it is probably safe to believe that the situation in Syria would be handled differently by the US government if not for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Health and The Environment

One cost that is often unaccounted for is impact the war had on the environment. This is a long-lasting effect of most wars, one that is often not immediately evident, but can be devastating in the long-term on the environment and human health, as in the case of Agent Orange use in Vietnam.

In Iraq, the Watson Institute identified several areas in which the environment was affected by the war. These include greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles related to the war effort and health problems caused by toxic dust kicked up from heavy trucks. The war also contributes to deforestation and the loss of wildlife. The changes to the natural environment cause shortages of resources, which is often a catalyst for future conflicts.