Richard Clarke points out "The 7 major costs of the War in Iraq"

Richard Clarke makes an excellent point when he talks about the cost of the War in Iraq. He points out the seven major costs of the War in Iraq.


1.There have been over 2000 American solders killed. But also contractors, journalists and aid workers have also been killed.

2.But even more than this is the large number of American wounded. If the number of soldiers killed seems lower than the Vietnam War we should notice that the number of American wounded is much higher. Many soldiers have survived in Iraq who would have died in previous wars.

3.Looking at the war through American eyes we don't see the tramendous number of Iraqis that have been killed. The Pentagon estimates that greater than 20,000 Iraqis have been killed. Johns Hopkins on the other hand used a sophisticated model and estimated more than 100,000 Iraqis have been killed in this conflict.

4.In addition to lives, there is also a financial cost of over $300 billion so far. This is equal to the entire defense budget a few years ago. It is about the same a the yearly discretionary spending of the US government. Many people can imagine all of the good that could have been done if this money were spent in the United States instead. We could have made the US much safer by spending a fraction of this amount within the US borders on anti-terrorism efforts alone.

5.In addition to the cost of blood and treasure we need to realize that we have alienated the Muslim World. Attitudes in the Muslim World have changed since the invasion of Iraq. There is much data from the last thirty years that shows a very positive attitude toward the US. The US presence in Iraq as seen through Arab media has changed the Muslim attitude and Muslim image of the US.

6.Worse than just this increased negative attitude toward the US there has been a strengthening of Terrorism. Terrorism experts agree unanimously that terrorism has been helped by the presence of US in Iraq. People come to Iraq to learn terrorism methods and techniques and take that back to their home country here they lie in wait in sleeper cells.

7.Perhaps worse of all, the credibility of the US government in the eyes of the people around the world, governments around the world and the people of the US. Imagine the US trying to convince anyone of a looming threat. Who would believe the US government now?
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/11/23/15182/589

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nominated.

Disability payments to wounded soldiers, medical and psych treatment. And what about the cost to replace all the weapons and munitions used? The cost to rebuild our military? And I cannot even imagine the cost to clean up Iraq and reparations we may have to pay.

And yes what good could have been done with all this money here in the US. Schools, infrastructure, health care, global warming. Certainly it would have been much better spent on developing alternative energy, and finding peaceful solutions to the threat of terrorism.

and I think ultimately is the most damning in an election. How to convince people that we are losing the War on Terror by fighting in Iraq is the key, as well as defining a Democratic alternative to the War on Terror.

n/t

within a few years.

All the points he made are so very true.

Subsequent to 9/11, subsequent to the Afghanistan war, the world perceived Islamic fundamentalism as a huge problem, and the US as both rightly aggrieved and eager to lead in doing something about that. Instead, Bush chose to conquer Iraq. There was a huge opportunity to address a one of the most significant world problems. And Bush blew it.