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Friday, Mar 15, 2013 9:50 AM UTC

Report: Iraq war costs U.S. more than $2 trillion so far

The Costs of War Project study concluded U.S. gained little, Iraq was "traumatized"

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Topics: Iraq war, costs of war project, U.S. Military, Middle East, George W. Bush,

Report: Iraq war costs U.S. more than $2 trillion so far(Credit: AP)

A new study by the Costs of War Project by the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University has made strides in quantifying the Iraq War ten years after the U.S. invaded. According to the study, flagged in Reuters, the war “has cost $1.7 trillion with an additional $490 billion in benefits owed to war veterans, expenses that could grow to more than $6 trillion over the next four decades counting interest, a study released on Thursday said.”

The death toll of Iraqi civilians, security forces, journalists and humanitarian workers is estimated at 189,000, according to the Study. Via Reuters:

The report concluded the United States gained little from the war while Iraq was traumatized by it. The war reinvigorated radical Islamist militants in the region, set back women’s rights, and weakened an already precarious healthcare system, the report said. Meanwhile, the $212 billion reconstruction effort was largely a failure with most of that money spent on security or lost to waste and fraud, it said.

Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com. More Natasha Lennard.

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