Thousands of lives and trillions of dollars: how the United States paid for its most scandalous war

In addition to the irrecoverable loss of life, the war in Iraq has put a heavy burden on the shoulders of American taxpayers. Harvard University professor Linda Bilmes is confident that "both wars (in Iraq and in Afghanistan) cost from 4 to 6 trillion dollars", reports "Voice of America".

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The war in Iraq officially ended on August 31, 2010, after President Obama announced it during a televised address to the nation. Troops on bases in Iraq heard: “Mission completed successfully.” This concluded Operation Iraqi Freedom. But the next one, non-combat, “New Dawn” began.

2,5 months later, Vice President Joe Biden visited Baghdad, where he took part in the ceremony of transferring command of the Iraqi military and changing the flag at the US military base "Victory". This was the final step in fulfilling not only President Obama's campaign promise that the US military would leave Iraq at the end of 2011, but also his predecessor, George W. Bush, who set the same time frame for ending the war.

“Last year, I announced the end of our military campaign in Iraq,” Obama said at a speech in Washington in 2011. “To date, we have withdrawn about 100 thousand military personnel from the country. The Iraqi authorities have taken full responsibility for security in the country."

The number of American military personnel permanently stationed in Iraq during the war years fluctuated between 100-170 thousand. According to the US Department of Defense, from the first day of Iraqi Freedom in March 2003 to August 2010, the United States lost about 4500 military personnel killed and about 32 injured.

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“Most Americans, at least analysts and foreign policy strategists, believe that the Iraq War was a mistake,” says Doug Bandow, chief fellow at the Cato Institute. “And there were no weapons of mass destruction there.” Unfortunately, the war resulted in significant instability in the country. Al-Qaeda appeared in Iraq, then the militants of the Islamic State. Among other things, Iran's influence on Iraq has increased. However, I am sure that life in Iraq today is much more pleasant than during the reign of Saddam Hussein. I don’t think anyone doubts this.”

Civilian casualties in Iraq are still a controversial issue among experts. For example, a UN study showed that between March 2003 and June 2006, 151 Iraqis died violently. The non-governmental organization Iraq Body Count published a report, which says that by the beginning of 2017, the death toll was more than 200 thousand people. But the English medical journal Lancet ranked the highest loss among civilians: in a study published in 2006, scientists concluded that as a result of the war, 654 thousand people died there.

"I think we've learned a few lessons," says Richard Weitz, director of the Hudson Institute's center. “I think this applies to both Joe Biden and Donald Trump. They show great reluctance to repeat such a scenario, when a large coalition of good forces overthrows the government and, in order to try to create something new, gets stuck there for decades. This is now shaping the US strategy in relation to North Korea, Iran and even Syria - just a lack of desire to take a very active part.”

In addition to the irreparable loss of life, the war in Iraq turned out to be extremely costly and placed a heavy burden on the shoulders of American taxpayers, said Linda Bilmes, a professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School. She co-authored The $3 Trillion War with Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz.

“The total cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is between $4 trillion and $6 trillion,” says Bilmes. “And among other things, we learned that these wars turned out to be much more difficult than George W. Bush expected. Almost 20 years have passed, and our troops are still in Iraq. Americans remain at risk throughout the region. And funds from our budget are spent on all this. We have found that the long-term consequences of this war are quite significant."

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There are more than 5 American troops in Iraq now. During a recent visit to Washington by newly elected Iraqi President Mustafa al Kazimi, the parties agreed on the gradual withdrawal of some foreign troops from the country.

President Trump has agreed to continue to reduce the number of American troops in Iraq. He stated that the strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq is based on a mutual desire for security and prosperity.

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