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Results of The Iraq War By the Numbers 2003-2011. Not Quite What We Envisioned. U.S. SPENDING IN IRAQ. Spent & Approved War-Spending - About $1 trillion of US taxpayers' funds spent or approved for spending through 2011.
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Results of The Iraq War By the Numbers 2003-2011 Not Quite What We Envisioned
U.S. SPENDING IN IRAQ Spent & Approved War-Spending - About $1 trillion of US taxpayers' funds spent or approved for spending through 2011. Lost & Unaccounted for in Iraq - $9 billion of US taxpayers' money and $549.7 million in spare parts shipped in 2004 to US contractors. Also, per ABC News, 190,000 guns, including 110,000 AK-47 rifles. Lost and Reported Stolen - $6.6 billion of U.S. taxpayers' money earmarked for Iraq reconstruction, reported on June 14, 2011 by Special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction Stuart Bowen who called it "the largest theft of funds in national history." (Source - CBS News) Last known holder of the $6.6 billion lost: the U.S. government.
After the Fall Invading Iraq and getting rid of Saddam Hussein (who was captured and hanged) were the easy parts. Rebuilding the country and trying to establish peace, security, a functioning economy, and reconstructing what had been destroyed has proven much more difficult.
Chaos Ensued The Iraqi Army and police were disbanded (taking their weapons with them), everything in the country got looted or stolen, and Iraqi Kurds, Shi’ites, and Sunnis began fighting each other for control of the country or out of revenge for Saddam Hussein’s favorable treatment of his fellow Sunnis.
Missing in Action Missing - $1 billion in tractor trailers, tank recovery vehicles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and other equipment and services provided to the Iraqi security forces. (Per CBS News on Dec 6, 2007.) Mismanaged & Wasted in Iraq - $10 billion, per Feb 2007 Congressional hearings
Halliburton and “Private Contractors” Unique to the wars of the 21st-Century, the army itself did not lead reconstruction efforts and the daily living needs of soldiers. Instead, the military hired private, for-profit companies to do this necessary work such as Halliburton, which had been led by Dick Cheney who left the company to become Vice President and one of the strongest voices in favor of attacking Iraq.
War Profiteers Such companies made billions, and the amounts they charged the US government were rarely challenged. Halliburton Overcharges Classified by the Pentagon as Unreasonable and Unsupported - $1.4 billion, Amount paid to KBR, a former Halliburton division, to supply U.S. military in Iraq with food, fuel, housing and other items - $20 billion, Portion of the $20 billion paid to KBR that Pentagon auditors deem "questionable or unsupportable" - $3.2 billion
The Costs Were Staggering U.S. Annual Air-Conditioning Cost in Iraq and Afghanistan - $20.2 billion (Source - NPR, June 25, 2011), U.S. 2009 Monthly Spending in Iraq - $7.3 billion as of Oct 2009, U.S. 2008 Monthly Spending in Iraq - $12 billion, U.S. Spending per Second - $5,000 in 2008 (per Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on May 5, 2008), Cost of deploying one U.S. soldier for one year in Iraq - $390,000
Troops in Iraq Troops in Iraq - No U.S. troops remain in Iraq. The last 13,000 U.S/ troops were withdrawn in December 2011. U.S. Troop Casualties - 4,487 US troops; 98% male. 91% non-officers; 82% active duty, 11% National Guard; 74% Caucasian, 9% African-American, 11% Latino. 19% killed by non-hostile causes. 54% of US casualties were under 25 years old. 72% were from the US Army. Non-U.S. Troop Casualties - Total 316, with 179 from the UK US Troops Wounded - 32,223, 20% of which are serious brain or spinal injuries. (Total excludes psychological injuries.) US Troops with Serious Mental Health Problems - 30% of US troops develop serious mental health problems within 3 to 4 months of returning home.
IRAQI TROOPS, CIVILIANS AND OTHERS Private Contractors in Iraq, Working in Support of US Army Troops - More than 180,000 in August 2007, per TheNation.com. Iraqi Police and Soldiers Killed - 10,125, as of July 31, 2011 (Note: Iraqis collaborating, or working with the occupying armies were often targeted by insurgents.) Iraqi Civilians Killed, Estimated - On October 22, 2010, ABC News reported "a secret U.S. government tally that puts the Iraqi (civilian) death toll over 100,000," information that was included in more than 400,000 military documents released by Wikileaks.com. A UN issued report dated Sept 20, 2006 stating that Iraqi civilian casualties have been significantly under-reported. Casualties are reported at 50,000 to over 100,000, but may be much higher. Some informed estimates place Iraqi civilian casualties at over 600,000.
Insurgents Note: “Insurgents” are Iraqi rebel groups fighting either to get the invading armies out of their country, to kill Iraqis collaborating with the US, or to attack rival Iraqis—usually of a different religious or ethnic group. • Iraqi Insurgents Killed, Roughly Estimated - 55,000 • Non-Iraqi Contractors and Civilian Workers Killed - 572 as of August 30, 2011 • Non-Iraqi Kidnapped - 306, including 57 killed, 147 released, 4 escaped, 6 rescued and 89 status unknown. • Daily Insurgent Attacks, Feb 2004 – 14 • Daily Insurgent Attacks, July 2005 – 70 • Daily Insurgent Attacks, May 2007 – 163 • Estimated Insurgency Strength, Nov 2003 - 15,000 • Estimated Insurgency Strength, Oct 2006 - 20,000 - 30,000 • Estimated Insurgency Strength, June 2007 - 70,000
QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS • Iraqis Displaced Inside Iraq, by Iraq War, as of May 2007 - 2,255,000 • Iraqi Refugees(those forced to flee to other countries) in Syria & Jordan - 2.1 million to 2.25 million • Iraqi Unemployment Rate - 27 to 60%, where curfew not in effect • Price Inflation in 2006 - 50% • Iraqi Children Suffering from Chronic Malnutrition - 28% in June 2007 (Per CNN.com, July 30, 2007)
Loss of Wealthier and Sklilled Iraqis • Percent of professionals who have left Iraq since 2003 - 40%, • Iraqi Physicians Before 2003 Invasion - 34,000, • Iraqi Physicians Who Have Left Iraq Since 2005 Invasion - 12,000, • Iraqi Physicians Murdered Since 2003 Invasion - 2,000. Those with the means and ability to find work elsewhere, have generally chosen to do so.
Life Stinks…Even a Decade Later Average Daily Hours Iraqi Homes Have Electricity - 1 to 2 hours, per Ryan Crocker, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq (Per Los Angeles Times, July 27, 2007), Average Daily Hours Iraqi Homes Have Electricity - 10.9 in May 2007, Average Daily Hours Baghdad Homes Have Electricity - 5.6 in May 2007, Pre-War Daily Hours Baghdad Homes Have Electricity - 16 to 24, Number of Iraqi Homes Connected to Sewer Systems - 37%, Iraqis without access to adequate water supplies - 70% (Per CNN.com, July 30, 2007), • Water Treatment Plants Rehabilitated - 22%
And They’re Angry… RESULTS OF POLL Taken in Iraq in August 2005 by the British Ministry of Defense(Source: Brookings Institute) • Iraqis "strongly opposed to presence of coalition troops - 82%, • Iraqis who believe Coalition forces are responsible for any improvement in security - less than 1%, • Iraqis who feel less secure because of the occupation - 67%, • Iraqis who do not have confidence in multi-national forces - 72%.