The War on Terror Costs More than Just Money

Among many things to commemorate, reflect upon and review on the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, the “long and lingering war” to fight terrorism is one that cannot be ignored. The United States has paid a terrible price in this “war on one target (bin Laden).”

There is no such thing as free lunch; this is more true when it comes to war. War itself is a money pit in the first place. During a war against terrorism, more money is wasted at a longer period of time; on top of that, it costs more than just money.

Military Budget Doubled after Two Wars in 10 Years

Even though the military expense on the 9/11 war on terror is the most obvious cost, it is still very difficult to actually calculate the exact total cost. According to a report released by the Congressional Research Service in March, since 9/11, the amount spent in military actions, defense of the bases, foreign aid and the medical expenses of the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeded $1.283 trillion. This $1.283 trillion definitely does not cover all the costs. Three years ago, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences Joseph Stiglitz estimated the cost of the Iraq War alone to be over $3 trillion — and that was a “conservative estimate” of the cost. We can gain a better idea on the growth on the cost of the war on terror by comparing the differences of the U.S. military budget. In 2001, the U.S. military budget was $363.1 billion; it doubled to $725 billion in 2011.

$75 Billion on Homeland Security Each Year

Although military expenses can be measured by looking at the military budget each year, there are many other, less obvious, complex and steep expenses that are related to the war on terror. While the United States is fighting the source of terrorism outside its borders, it is simultaneously strengthening its defenses against terrorist attacks within through the Department of Homeland Security, formed after 9/11. The primary responsibilities of the United States Department of Homeland Security are to prevent terrorist attacks, to lower America’s vulnerability to terrorism and to limit the damage done by terrorist attacks.

The Department of Homeland Security is the largest organization of homeland security in the world; its budget has an increase of more than 6 percent each year. In the 10 years since 9/11, the federal and state governments have spent $75 billion on homeland security. In order to prevent terrorist attacks, the United States government has built a complex nationwide information network, upgraded its responsive equipment for medical aid, installed security cameras and explosion-proof walls and increased the checking and security at airports. All these new expenses in response to 9/11 were not military expenses, but they were all related to the war on terror.

The War in the Middle East Increased Oil Prices and Hurt the Economy

The increase in expenses on the war on terror is only one side of the problem. The war on terror in the Middle East has fluctuated oil prices. Prior to the United States intervention in Iraq in 2003, oil was less than $25 per barrel. In 2008, oil prices have spiked to almost $160 per barrel. It is easy to see the impact of the change in oil prices on the U.S. economy. The enormous expenses of the war on terror brought the United States into the pit of debt. It is needless to say how the war on terror has caused the financial crisis in 2008 and the U.S. debt crisis this year.

The War on Terror Has Cost 250,000 Lives

Besides financial cost, many U.S. lives were also lost in the war on terror. More than 4,470 soldiers were killed during military operations in Iraq; another 1,750 have lost their lives in the battlefields in Afghanistan. Although a timeline to retreat from Afghanistan has been established by the United States, there is still quite some time to go until the retreat is completed; that number of 1,750 will keep going up, testing the patience of the Americans. On top of the casualties, more than 30,000 American soldiers were injured as of the end of last year. Soldiers from other countries have also been killed in the wars: 318 soldiers in Iraq and 945 in Afghanistan. The casualties among the United States and its allies were only a small part of the number: Many soldiers, policemen and low-income citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan were killed in the wars. The estimated casualties of the war on terror are around 250,000 people.

Iraq War Pummeled U.S. Soft Power

Over 10 years, the war on terror has also pummeled America’s soft power. The United States received support from many countries to fight in Afghanistan because it was attacked by the terrorists and Afghanistan was the base of terrorist organizations. Although it was also supported by many other countries, the Iraq war was mainly fought with troops from the United States and Britain and was considered by most people to be “plotted” by the two countries. As the reason behind the Iraq war was later proven to be fraudulent, the United States, who initiated the war regardless of the opposing voices of many countries, was considered an imperial country that abused its military power.

The Iraq war also caused conflicts between the United States and Europe and increased the stress between the United States and the Islamic world. All over the world, many people protested against the war both before and after the war; the image of the United States was severely damaged. It takes time to establish a country’s soft power; the damage dealt to the soft power of the United States due to the war is not something that can be so easily restored by Obama’s inspirational call for a “nuclear free world” in Prague, or a tender-heart speech in Cairo.

After 10 years of the war on terror, we have not seen any terrorist attacks similar to that of 9/11 in the United States. However, its cost was also heartbreaking: It pummeled America’s soft power, worsened the financial crisis and deepened the deficit. As a result, the United States is reviewing its strategy of the war on terror; the willingness of the Obama administration and the American people to pay for the war is diminishing. The death of bin Laden has provided a good excuse for the United States to retreat from the war.