The High Financial, Human Cost Of War

MICHELE NORRIS, host:

While Marines may feel that their mission has only just begun, the war has already proved costly. We asked NPR's Mary Louise Kelly to answer the question: How much has it cost? Here's what she found.

MARY LOUISE KELLY: In the eight years since the invasion of Afghanistan, the U.S. has spent $156 billion on the war there. That's according to the Pentagon. But that $156 billion price tag is just for the Defense Department. It does not include how much, for example, the CIA has spent on intelligence operations, or how much the State Department has spent on diplomacy or reconstruction efforts. Start factoring those in and the total cost of the war, so far, rises closer to $227 billion, according to the Congressional Research Service. And here's an interesting milestone. Next year, for the first time, the Pentagon expects to spend more in Afghanistan than in Iraq. That reflects the reality that more troops are pouring into Afghanistan even as the war in Iraq winds down. If anything, it's more sobering to consider the cost of the war in lives. The Pentagon says 907 U.S. service members have been killed so far in the Afghan war, more than 4,400 wounded. Fifty eight died last month alone, making October the deadliest month for U.S. forces since the war began.

Mary Louise Kelly, NPR News, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.