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| Home Front: WoT |
| Five Years of War on Terror Has Cost $437 Billion |
| 2006-08-12 |
| The cost of the war on terror will reach $437 billion by the end of Fiscal Year 2006 on Sept. 30, according to the Congressional Research Service. In a recent report, CRS said current spending plans through the end of Fiscal 2006 will stand at $436.8 billion in military and foreign aid expenses attributable to the war on terror. That total includes $7.1 billion in 2003 funding that “may or may not” have been spent on war expenses, the report notes. The total includes $69 billion in additional dollars from the latest supplemental funding bill. War costs are rapidly approaching half a trillion dollars, as the above totals do not include $50 billion in supplemental “bridge” funding that is expected early in Fiscal 2007. Measuring total budget authority for defense operations, reconstruction, security enhancements, foreign aid, and new veterans benefits since 9/11, CRS reports the cost of the war has increased annually. Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom cost $31.4 billion in 2001 and 2002; $81.2 billion in Fiscal 2003; $94.3 billion in Fiscal 2004; $107.2 billion in Fiscal 2005; and $122.2 billion this year. Iraq has consumed the lion’s share of the funding: $318.5 billion. The OEF cost has come to $88.2 billion, and “enhanced security” since 9/11 has required $26.2 billion. CRS said it was “unable to locate” the destination for $3.9 billion in Fiscal 2003 dollars. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #11 The cost of our losses on 9/11 was at least $500 billion. Uniquely skilled people died, buildings were destroyed, aircrafts were lost and others had to be made safer, stock prices went down... Add the increased need for security controls, the time wasted by tens of millions at airports, insurance policies, the economic slow-down, all the people hired to work as security guards instead of building better cars, computers, furniture, etc. When someone breaks a window, the money spent repairing it could have been used towards more productive or rewarding purposes. |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2006-08-12 23:20 |
| #10 The sum mentioned comes to about 4% of one year's economic output, which is about 0.8% a year. This is pretty cheap. In WWII, we spent 50% of economic every year fighting the Axis Powers. This means that on an annual basis, we spent over 60 times as much as a proportion of our economy during WWII as during the War on Terror. The casualty count is also way lower - we've taken 6,000 civilian and military dead over 5 years, whereas we took 400,000 civilian and military dead over less than 4 years during WWII. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2006-08-12 23:07 |
| #9 Zen, we have argued over nation building for at least a year, I have been a proponant of nation building. I'm getting to the point where we need to break things at the megaton level is the only viable solution. The pandering and lack of political will to do what is necessary has gotten us to the point where we must destroy Iran and Syria if we are to live in some form of peace for the next 100 years. All the worries over the poor innocent muzzies is or should be wiped away by the desire for democracy's survival. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-08-12 22:39 |
| #8 Make invoice out to Iran and Saudi Arabia. |
| Posted by: newc 2006-08-12 21:13 |
| #7 Hush Mark E., we don't do variable costs. |
| Posted by: The US Government 2006-08-12 19:30 |
| #6 As for the Homefront, jihadi fronts continue to use our freedoms against our security. We have to close all the loop holes that enable terrorists to escape justice, including impediments to investigative detention. Arrests must be allowed even where suspicion is at a low threshold, and all suspect contacts - internet, phone, direct contacts, etc - and related witnesses, must be interrogated before the suspect is released. Of course, detained suspects should not be main-lined in penitentiaries pending charge-sheeting or release. Detained persons are innocent until proven guilty. But they should be kept in custody until the case to meet test is made. |
| Posted by: Snease Shaiting3550 2006-08-12 18:55 |
| #5 Interesting thoughts there Zenster. The US breaks Iran (there's history there) and then the 'international community' sits down and tries to rewrite the map and pays for the reconstruction. Works for me... |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2006-08-12 17:32 |
| #4 I can't find the link now, but I recall that the estimated cost of 9/11 (less than several hours duration) cost the US around $90 billion. If we need to spend $90 billion per year to prevent $90 billion damage in a day, then it seems like a outstanding investment. |
| Posted by: WTF 2006-08-12 17:01 |
| #3 Which is why this "nation-building" sh!t has got to end. We must now enter a phase of "breaking things." Something our armed forced are well-equipped to do and do quite nicely at that. If we can, somehow, establish Iraq (and possibly Afghanistan) as bastions of democracy in this woebegotten region, well and done. But enough of fooling ourselves that we can implement some sort of Mid-East Marshall Plan™. We have neither the treasure nor troops required for such a vast undertaking. Therefore, now is the time to begin fragmenting and decapping those governments who seek to do us harm. Iran tops the list well beyond all other rogue regimes. Syria needs its dose of the backwash ensuing there from. A strong lesson needs to be taken from the current situation with Israel and Lebanon. Shortly enough, we will see that NOBODY besides Israel is open to any peaceful solution. That said, very unpeaceful solutions need to be laid at the feet of Israel's and our own foes. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-08-12 16:29 |
| #2 Just a quick question, and I think it is the relevant one; How much MORE have we spent on defense than was projected for our defense budget BEFORE the invasion. IIRC, we were spending huge sums already on the no fly zone, etc. How much more does this cost us, both in absolute dollar terms and as percentage increase from baseline? |
| Posted by: Mark E. 2006-08-12 12:52 |
| #1 So? In ten years we will have spent 4,370,000,000,000 (proj). Did we get value for $95 billion per year? So far we have not seen a repeat of 9/11. What price freedom? |
| Posted by: john 2006-08-12 12:38 |