U.S. Air Force advisers, U.S. soldiers, and Afghan students descend the mountain to a waiting Mi-17 helicopter after completing their final scenario before graduating from Air Liaison Officer School on Forward Operating Base Hunter range, Afghanistan, Nov. 25, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Perry Aston
Post-9/11 Military Costs Hit $1.6 Trillion -- The Hill
The United States has spent $1.6 trillion on military operations and counterterrorism, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to a newly released report by the Congressional Research Service.
“Based on funding enacted from the 9/11 attacks through [fiscal year 2014], CRS estimates a total of $1.6 trillion has been provided to the Department of Defense, the State Department and the Department of Veterans Administration for war operations, diplomatic operations and foreign aid, and medical care for Iraq and Afghan war veterans over the past 13 years of war,” the report, dated Dec. 8, states.
Of the $1.6 trillion total, $815 billion was spent on warfare in Iraq and $686 billion was spent in Afghanistan.
Read more ....
Update #1: $14 Million An Hour: War Costs Top $1.6 Trillion Since 9/11, Say Congressional Researchers -- IBTimes
Update #2: Wars’ Cost to U.S. Since the Sept. 11 Attacks: $1.6 Trillion -- Bloomberg
My Comment: Did a quick read of the report .... on Figure 3 it shows that the majority of the spending has occurred during the Obama administration .... and this number is still climbing. Talk about a depressing update. The GAO report is here.
7 comments:
That's a lot of money to be spending to lose 8 wars,.......
And counting Jay .... and counting.
We spent more the war on poverty and lost that as well.
What is you point?
Reading about the Sino-Burmese War during the Qing dynasty.
The Chinese demonstrably lost the battles and the war, yet the result more or less was achieved.
If you are looking at it as all 0s and 1s, you will not get the right result.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Burmese_War_(1765%E2%80%9369)
The difference, is like in Vietnam, we are "winning" all the battles, and losing all the wars,
And they are spreading, not just in area, but complexity.
What was a onesided conflict against terrorist cells, has become a 8 sided war against groups ranging from terrorist Light Infantry Divisions, all the way down to "lone wolves".
Very true Jay. Sounds like it doesn't really matter the amount of money, but the policies and the will of the policy-makers to get things done.
That and rules of engagement.
Post a Comment