The Watson Institute at Brown University, funded by the Eisenhower Institute, has published a wide-ranging new study of Iraq and Afghanistan war costs that was compiled by some 20 academic contributors and led by Professors Catherine Lutz (Brown) and Neta Crawford (Boston University).  Contributors include Andrew Bacevich (BU) , Winslow Wheeler (Center on Defense Information), Anita Dancs (National Priorities Project), Ryan Edwards (Queens College, NYU) and many others.  Linda Bilmes wrote the section of the report that estimates the costs attributable to veterans medical care and disability benefits.

The study focused particularly on war costs that have occurred (or been incurred but not yet paid) during the past decade since September 11, 2011.  It features important new work on the casualties and costs to defense contractors, and the social impact on military families.   The section by Winslow Wheeler analyzes the increases in the defense base budget over the past decade.  Portions of the report focus on costs to Iraq and to the region.   The website includes a range of charts and tables.    The study covers overlapping, but somewhat different ground, from the Stiglitz-Bilmes study.

SEE: http://costsofwar.org/

The number of Army suicides in June 2010 was the highest number in a single month since the Vietnam era.  Thirty-two troops are believed to have committed suicide.  Of those, 21 were on active duty, seven were serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, and eleven were not on active-duty.  See: the Department of Defense said.

Last year, a record-breaking 245 soldiers committed suicide. The Army seems on track to surpass that number this year, as 145 soldiers have taken their lives in the first half of 2010.  These statistics do not include the number of veterans who end their own lives. That figure surged 26 percent from 2005 to 2007, according to the Veterans Affairs Department.

90000 Casualties, but Who’s Counting?

Despite improvements in the security situation, Iraq is still a very dangerous and violent place.

• A suicide bomber attacked a police headquarters in Mosul on April 11, killing five US solders, 3 Iraqis, and injuring 60 others.  It was the second suicide attack on a police base in Mosul in the past 2 weeks — the previous one on March 31st killed 8 people.

• Earlier in the week, President Obama visited Baghdad (where the poor security situation still forces US dignitaries to make only “surprise” visits) and touted recent security gains.  But the day before Obama arrived, 36 people were killed in six separate car bombings in Baghdad alone.

• The latest bombings brings the total US troops killed in Iraq to 4271.  In Afghanistan, 672 US troops have been killed, which brings the total to 4941 — almost 5000.

While the numbers of US troops being killed in Iraq has dropped during the past year, the death rate in Afghanistan is increasing.   The deteriorating situation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region is largely due to the fact  that the US neglected this vital area during the past 5 years while it has been preoccupied with Iraq.

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