The Institute for Policy Studies and Foreign Policy In Focus just released a new study titled “PAYING THE PRICE: The Mounting Costs of the Iraq War” that examines the costs of the war and occupation in terms of lives, the increased military budget demands and the stripping of the domestic budget.
Among the report’s findings:
- Total number of coalition military deaths between the start of war and June 16, 2004: 952 (853 U.S.)
- Of those 952, the number killed after President George W. Bush declared “an end to combat operations” on May 1, 2003: 693
- Number of U.S. troops wounded since the war began: 5,134
- Number of U.S. troops wounded since President George W. Bush declared “an end to combat operations” on May 1, 2003: 4,593
- Number of civilian contractors, missionaries, and civilian workers killed: 50-90
- Number of international media workers killed in Iraq: 30 (21 since the “end of combat operations”)
- Iraqi civilians killed: 9,436 to 11,317
- Iraqi civilians injured: 40,000 (est.)
- Iraqi soldiers and insurgents killed prior to “end of combat operations” May 1, 2003: 4,895 to 6,370
- The bill so far: $126.1 billion
- Additional amount to cover operations through 2004: $25 billion
- What $151 billion could have paid for in the U.S.: Housing vouchers: 23 million
- Health care for uninsured Americans: 27 mil.
- Salaries for elementary school teachers: 3 mil.
- New fire engines: 678,200
- Head Start slots: 20 million
- Estimated long-term cost of war to every U.S. household: $3,415
- Amount contractor Halliburton is alleged to have charged for meals never served to troops and for cost overruns on fuel deliveries: $221 million
- Kickbacks received by Halliburton employees from subcontractors: $6 million
- Percentage of Americans who now feel that “the situation in Iraq was not worth going to war over.”: 54
- Percentage of Iraqis who said they would feel safer if U.S. and other foreign troops left the country immediately: 55
- Percentage of U.S. soldiers in Iraq reporting low morale: 52
- Percentage of soldiers who said they would not re- enlist: 50
- Percentage of wounded unable to return to duty: 64
- Number of soldiers whose tours of duty have been extended by the Army: 20,000
- Percentage of reserve troops who earn lower salaries while on deployment: 30-40
- Fraction of National Guard troops among U.S. force now in Iraq: 1/3
- Percentage of U.S. police departments missing officers due to Iraq deployments: 44
- Effect on al Qaeda of the Iraq war, according to International Institute for Strategic Studies: “Accelerated recruitment”
- Estimated number of al Qaeda terrorists as of May 2004: 18,000 with 1,000 active in Iraq
- Percentage of Iraqis expressing “no confidence” in U.S. civilian authorities or coalition forces: 80
- Iraq’s oil production in 2002: 2.04 mil. barrels/day
- Iraq’s oil production in 2003: 1.33 mil. barrels/day
- Price of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. in May 2004: more than $2
The full report is online here.
