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Geopolitics · Iraq War · Military Spending · US Fiscal
The United States' invasion of Iraq, a war of choice, incurred direct and indirect costs ranging from $1.7 trillion to $3 trillion, with long-term estimates reaching $6 trillion, while failing to achieve its stated goals or provide lasting strategic benefits, according to Brian Michael Jenkins of the RAND Corporation.
The conflict resulted in 4,480 U.S. soldiers and at least 3,400 U.S. contractors killed, alongside 31,928 wounded American soldiers and an estimated 110,000 to 150,000 Iraqi deaths. No weapons of mass destruction were ever found, undermining U.S. credibility and making future international mobilization more difficult.
The war exacerbated America's financial difficulties and strained military resources. It diverted attention and resources from the campaign against al Qaeda and the Taliban, instead providing al Qaeda with a new front and recruiting opportunities.
The U.S. State Department claims a strategically important bilateral relationship with Iraq, but the Iraqi government supports Iran's ambitions and facilitates arms shipments to Syria, demonstrating a lack of alignment with U.S. interests. The costly removal of Saddam Hussein produced no reliable ally and no lasting strategic benefit.
World governments had more than $100 trillion in public debt when the Iran war began—limiting their ability to cushion the effects of energy-price shocks.
