Tue., September 6
The Costs of War

The Costs of War

It's been 10 years since the first boots of coalition forces hit the ground in Afghanistan. The War on Terror spread from there into Iraq and Pakistan. Out of the fierce fighting, success came haltingly: a slow expansion of calm in Iraq, a rebuilding of infrastructure in Afghanistan, and a modicum of power returned to local authorities in the region. But a decade of suicide bombings and urban warfare has left its mark: in casualties, war refugees and political upheaval; and the costs for continued troop presence, medical care and rebuilding remain staggeringly high. How high has been a matter of debate - some would say secrecy - until now.

Two professors at Brown University's Watson Institute - Neta Crawford and Catherine Lutz - enlisted the help of experts across many disciplines to try to measure the costs - human, economic, social and political - of the War on Terror. Their new study estimates a pricetag of $3.2 trillion, with 225,000 casualties so far. It's thought-provoking, controversial, and the most in-depth look so far at the impact of post-9/11 US military activities. Catherine Lutz joins us to talk about it.