Iraq: By the numbers

By: Corbett B. Daly, David Morgan
Topics: Foreign Policy ,; White House

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Trevor Hall, 28, walks through the village of Bani Hashem, Iraq in this August 2011 file photo.

(Credit: AP Photo/Rebecca Santana)

President Obama announced on Friday that the United States would bring all troops home from Iraq by the end of the year, keeping his 2008 campaign promise to end the nearly nine-year war.

Asked if it was worth it, Antony Blinken, national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, told reporters "history is going to have to judge."

For the record, the Defense Department has identified 4,471 American service members who have died since the March 19, 2003 start of the Iraq war.

Saddam Hussein's iconic statue was toppled on April 9, 2003.

On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush announced "major combat operations have ended." He spoke on an aircraft carrier with a large banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished" behind him, though sailors on that ship have said the banner was a nod to them because they were returning home from a successful mission that had been extended because of the war.

Using Pentagon figures, the Brookings Institution calculated 32,175 wounded.

More than 1 million Americans have served in Iraq, Mr. Obama said.

There are 39,500 troops still in Iraq.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office in August said the war has cost about $709 billion while the Congressional Research Service said it cost about $748 billion.

According to Iraqbodycount.org, there have been somewhere between 103,143 - 112,708 civilian casualties in Iraq.

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by technocoffee October 23, 2011 6:55 AM EDT: Absolutely NOT worth it---worst policy decision directed by the worst decision Americans ever made for the Office of the President of the USA-Dumbya!!! Trillions of dollars down a rathole and, worst of all, hundreds of thousands dead for NO REASON!!!; Reply to this comment


by mark2789 October 22, 2011 6:32 PM EDT: Of course it wasn't worth it. We lost thousands of good young men and women,,,thousands of innocent Iraquis were killed. I guess the Republicans will say it..helped create jobs and was good for the economy.; Reply to this comment


by jackpenn October 22, 2011 3:24 PM EDT: You can bet your life, anytime there is a war started somewhere in th world, it is all about making lots of money for a certain few on both sides. This is no coincidence, that when Lyndon Johnson got America involved in Vietnam, Texas became the wealthiest States in the country. It is no coincidence, that when George W. Bush got America involved in a war with Iraq, Texas once again became one of the richest States in America, and now Governor Perry is bragging about how great Texas has become. It was no coincidence, that Vice President Cheney just happened to be a Haliburton executive, as they were obtaining all of the contracts in rebuilding Iraq. It is always all about making money, while the poor people end up fighting and dying in these wars started by the rich politicians and big businesses.; Reply to this comment


by Ben37221 October 22, 2011 12:08 PM EDT: Even if the war had cost a $1, it would have been a $1 too much. We have no business in invading Iraq. It was morally wrong, economically irresponsible, and an absolute waste of about a million Iraq's life, and near 5000 American lives.
Can some one tell the world where will the one million Iraqs killed and their families go to get justice? How can anyone justify killing a million people and say oops! we made a mistake? Romney, and Perry just don't get it. We Americans don't want to pay a penny more in Iraq, and any sane and God fearing human being should not expect the Iraqs to say thanks to us for killing Almost a million of their people and destroying their Country. Then again, only a republican will expect a thank you for such atrosity.; Reply to this comment


by GoUnion86 October 22, 2011 8:54 AM EDT: Haliburton thought the war was well worth it.; Reply to this comment


by voxpopulus October 22, 2011 12:50 AM EDT: When he doesn't move them out Republicans complain he doesn't keep his promises. When he does move them out Republicans complain. I guess Republicans just complain.; Reply to this comment


by jollyjohnson October 21, 2011 11:16 PM EDT: That 740 billion dollar cost is not even close to real cost of this war. The total final cost is estimated to be 1.5 trillion dollars. Just the medical costs and the health care costs, alone, of those who served there have been estimated to be 300 billion to 700 billion as they are added to the tally over the coming years and decades. Remember this war was an unfunded war fought with borrowed money, so you will have debt sevice cost to add to the total. Then there are the hidden costs of defense appropriations which are not all included in that 740 billion dollars, but which should also be tallied into the cost. An estimate of what will be the total final cost of the war, decades from now, tally a grand total of 1.5 trillion dollars for the Iraq War.; Reply to this comment

by RobAla October 21, 2011 9:31 PM EDT

"President Obama's astonishing failure to secure an orderly transition in Iraq has unnecessarily put at risk the victories that were won through the blood and sacrifice of thousands of American men and women," he said. "The unavoidable question is whether this decision is the result of a naked political calculation or simply sheer ineptitude in negotiations with the Iraqi government. The American people deserve to hear the recommendations that were made by our military commanders in Iraq."

I certainly hope Romney is wrong, but I feel sure he is right. Washington has been in chaos for the last two years, and I am afraid this is more of the same. I certainly hope President Obama is not so irresponsible as to risk the stability of a new Iraq by an attempt to cater to his left wing base. I hope this doesn't undo all that has been accomplished by those who have given their lives. It seems to be totally rash to remove all troops, instead of an orderly downsizing.

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by seethelight October 21, 2011 11:40 PM EDT: Did you take the time read the news accounts concerning the withdrawal? Obama wanted to continue to keep several thousand troops in Iraq after January 2012. During the last several months the Obama administration had been seeking to find a political formula with the Iraqi government that would keep a few thousand U.S. troops in the country. The talks failed largely over Iraqi opposition to granting immunity from prosecution for Americans troops who would remain. There are only about 35,000 U.S. troops left in Iraq, this will not pose a problem to an orderly withdrawal over the next two months. The reason Washington appears to be at a stand still in because the Congress is in gridlock, thanks to the right of center mindsets of the House and Senate Republicans.


by dzaffina October 22, 2011 7:56 PM EDT: usual rightwing propaganda cutting and pasteing from robala.


by franknkissy October 21, 2011 8:31 PM EDT: From our life experiences - it is not religion which poisons men's minds ....rather it is poison within men's minds which infects religion !; Reply to this comment

by Zorg_P October 21, 2011 6:53 PM EDT

800 Billion, well that's only about 10 times more than George W. Bush said it would cost. 2 Wars and Trillions of dollars wasted, and people want to put another Republican in the White House?

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