Costs of the U.S.-Led War in Iraq Since 2003

https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/2022/IraqWarCosts

by chiefalchemist • 3 years ago

48 40 3 years ago

watson.brown.edu

geenew• 3 years ago

Related, this is a worthwhile retrospective of the same war:

https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/iconic-images-from-the-...

pokepim• 3 years ago

Tbh wars like Iraq war, Vietnam war are basically genocidal actions carried out by our government. What a bunch of savages.

miguelazo• 3 years ago

What a complete waste. It (and subsequent misadventures) left the entire region in a much, much worse place. Also why we can’t have nice things.

nielsbot• 3 years ago

When I saw this headline I said out loud "God, do I even want to click on this link?"

mardifoufs2• 3 years ago

Misadventures is quite the euphemism. Illegal invasions and war crimes would probably be more fitting. But otherwise, I fully agree

disillusioned• 3 years ago

Yes, but think of the bonuses for the C-suite of Halliburton and Northrop and Raytheon, et al!

chitowneats• 3 years ago

The total loss is incalculable. I do appreciate the attempt at quantifying it though. What an utter disaster.

keithalewis2• 3 years ago

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8717.Perpetual_War_for_P...

EntrePrescott• 3 years ago

more like: perpetual war for perpetual profits of the military-industrial complex. Eisenhower (who had been a five-star general before becoming president) warned about it in 1961… he saw it coming, but people didn't listen or didn't care:

we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military%E2%80%93industrial_co...

keithalewis2• 3 years ago

Right on. Let's not forget Eisenhower originally called it the military–industrial–congressional complex.

runnerup• 3 years ago

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/war/

This has a “live counter” constantly incrementing which shows the total cost of the “global war on terror”.

AtlasBarfed• 3 years ago

One of Bin Laden's goals was to exact a huge financial cost, and he largely succeeded.

One of Bin Laden's goals was to foment distrust of America around the world. He succeeded.

The undermining of core liberties, the sullying of legal foundations to support the "war on terror", the vast increase in monitoring and other totalitarian state system, further radicalization of the right wing and division in the US, that was alllll gravy.

clouddrover• 3 years ago

American police kill about 1,000 Americans per year. Last year was a record high:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/06/us-police-ki...

In the last 25 years American police have killed more Americans than terrorists have.

More American lives would be saved by putting resources towards getting the police under control than by more spending on the nebulous war on terror.

kfrzcode3• 3 years ago

edit

recuter3• 3 years ago

I miss Baghdad Bob :(

lowkey2• 3 years ago

I’m still patiently awaiting the day we hold those accountable for the unilaterally aggressive war that led to the unnecessary death of over 1 million Iraqis and countless Americans.

Should be any day now, right? Right?

rebuilder2• 3 years ago

Well, the ICC has just -rightly IMO - put out a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin. I’m sure the warrant for Bush Jr. is next.

Oh wait, they didn’t issue the warrant because of aggressive war, it’s due to forced deportations of children, something that AFAIK didn’t really happen in Iraq. That’s convenient.

dragonwriter2• 3 years ago

Well, the ICC has just -rightly IMO - put out a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin. I’m sure the warrant for Bush Jr. is next.

US actions in Iraq are not subject to ICC jurisdiction because:

(1) THe US is not an ICC member, so the ICC’s jurisdiction over ICC members is not applicable,

(2) Iraq is not an ICC member, so the ICC’s jurisdiction over crimes on the territories of ICC members is not applicable,

(3) Iraq has not, as a non-member, acceded voluntarily to ICC jurisdiction over war crimes on its territory, so ICC’s jurisdiction over crimes on the territories of stats who have voluntarily acceded to its jurisdiction is not applicable.

(4) The matter was not referred to the ICC by the UN Security Council, so the ICC's jurisdiction based on Security Council referral was not applicable,

Oh wait, they didn’t issue the warrant because of aggressive war, it’s due to forced deportations of children, something that AFAIK didn’t really happen in Iraq. That’s convenient.

Had the ICC had jurisdiction over all applicable parties and territories at the time of the US invasion of Iraq, it could not have charged anyone for aggressive war, because the definition of the crime of aggression for the purposes of ICC process was not adopted until 2010, and the provisions making it prosecutable did not go into effect until 2018.

Similarly, the ICC provisions on aggression cannot be used in Ukraine, since unlike other offenses (war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide) prosecutable by the ICC, the crime of aggression (except in cases of an UN Security Council referral, which bypasses other jurisdictional limits) is only prosecutable against State Parties to the Rome Statute who have ratified the amendments concerning the crime of aggression, and the matter in Ukraine is not subject to a Security Council referral and Russia is not a State Party to the Rome Statute. The Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine to the UN Human Rights Council released two days ago explicitly calls out this jurisdictional issue with regard to aggression and notes [footnotes elided] “The ICC is investigating alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Ukraine. It does not have jurisdiction for the crime of aggression in Ukraine. Suggestions have been made to establish a special tribunal on aggression. Any such tribunal would have to coordinate with the ICC. Furthermore, it should have the required international legitimacy, both with respect to its establishment and functioning. Discussions about a new tribunal should be combined with efforts to amend the ICC Statute, so that the Court’s jurisdiction over aggression is identical to the other three crimes.” Also note that the warrants announced by the ICC in Ukraine may not be the only ones already issued; limited information about what are still technically secret warrants was published because the specific crimes appear to remain ongoing and it is hoped that the announcement of the warrants will deter further involvement in them. [1]

[0] https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies...

[1] “The Chamber considered that the warrants are secret in order to protect victims and witnesses and also to safeguard the investigation. Nevertheless, mindful that the conduct addressed in the present situation is allegedly ongoing, and that the public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes, the Chamber considered that it is in the interests of justice to authorise the Registry to publicly disclose the existence of the warrants, the name of the suspects, the crimes for which the warrants are issued, and the modes of liability as established by the Chamber.” https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-is...

lowkey2• 3 years ago

Notably, the ICC isn’t the only organization that is involved in war crimes tribunals, nor was it the first.

The US and all allied powers, including Russia, were signatories to the Nuremberg Principles[0] which we used to prosecute the Nazis for “waging a unilaterally aggressive war.” All signatories agreed this was a war crime. What’s changed?

For the record, I think Putin should be tried for war crimes based on his invasion of Ukraine. I also believe the US should be held to the same standard.

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_principles

Edit: changed Nuremberg Code to Nuremberg Principles, Added reference

recuter3• 3 years ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–Iraq_War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_support_for_Iraq...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_Hussein

Life is complicated.

P.S. - I did not support the Iraq war in 2003 or now. Just cognizant of how such things unfurl beyond the trendy self-flagellation.

swatcoder• 3 years ago

All of history unfurls upon itself forever.

It doesn’t really change that individuals/groups/governments/nations deescalate tension and demonstrate integrity by holding themselves accountable.

mardifoufs2• 3 years ago

Everything you listed is just a deflection. You realize the US supported and enabled iraq in the iraq iran war? So why bring it up as to imply it's the reason behind the invasion of 2003?

And yes sure, I guess russians that oppose the aggression war on ukraine are just indulging in self flagelation too.

esturk2• 3 years ago

The problem was that no country dared to stand up to America just like they would with Russia right now. (IMO, Russia was rightfully sanctioned for the invasion of Ukraine.) But when America invaded Iraq, who dared to sanction America? No one. And in the future, should America do it once more, the same thing would happen again.

IlikeMadison2• 3 years ago

Uh? The French literally convinced most of the UN members (except the United Kingdom) to NOT support the USA in invading Iraq. The French representative at the time directly confronted Colin Powell about the supposed "proofs" on WoMDs. They also predicted exactly what is happening today: increased terrorist risk, geopolitical instability, economic fallout etc. You can see the famous speech of Villepin at the UN on YouTube. This how the war on Iraq was deemed as illegal by the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the time. Fun-fact this is also when French bashing started to rise in the US, coming from politicians but also throughout pop-culture.

esturk2• 3 years ago

Oh? Is this one of those symbolic UN votes that amounted to nothing? I was referring to actual sanctions all the western allies are putting on Russia right now. Options that have teeth. But no one dared to do that to America.

defrost• 3 years ago

It had little to do with fear, look to the makeup of the coalition of the not exactly willing.

Australia had the sycophantic Howard Government at the time, declassified documents [0] reveal the decision to go to war was taken primarily with a view to enhancing its alliance with the United States.

Other Australian Governments (eg: Keating or Whitlam, etc.) would, I hope, have told the US to bugger the hell right off .. or they would have grudgingly gone along on the basis of having mutual treaties (that didn't strictly apply to Rambo Missions).

The UK had Blair who apparently really really believed that the UK's "special relationship" with the US could temper their excesses in a rash post 9/11 PTSD induced revenge mission [1].

The handfull of lessor players were in it for the promised carrots (with a few having a minor twist of fear of the alternatives should they not go along - but the US at the time was over promising to gain paid allies).

[0] https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2017/iraq-dossier/

[1] https://mwi.usma.edu/britains-blunder-united-kingdom-marched...

jones6ofMont• 3 years ago

Americans looted Iraq oil, so that war wasnt that costly. They tried to do the same with Afghanistan lithium mines, but in 20 years Americans never ever able to control the land greater than 50%. So the majority of Bush war cost wjich amounts to 10-20T weigh down by Afghan humiliating defeat.

whakim• 3 years ago

The Iraq War actually made Iraqi oil fields less productive, contributing to a rise in global oil prices - yet another indirect cost of the war.

chiefalchemist• 3 years ago

This is my share and want to add four things:

- WMDs...were a lie. An obvious and intentional lie. A lie that no one seems to remember. Maybe our collective consciousness is too embarrassed?

-Aside from the shock & awe phase, there was little media coverage. Contrast that with Russia and Ukraine. Yet another subtle example of how The Media (at least in the USA) has lost its journalistic integrity.

- Opportunity cost. Combine Iraq with Afghanistan and that's a lot of lives, time and resources gone. Forever. Imagine even half of that used to move the needle in a positive direction.

- The Military Industrial Complex - It's not a conspiracy theory. It is real. The Biden Administration has push the DOD budget over $800 BILLION and was effectively met with crickets. Money we don't have to over-spend on things that we don't need.

Costs of the U.S.-Led War in Iraq Since 2003

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