"According to an October 2005 report by the Congressional Research Service, the total cost of the Iraq war to American taxpayers had reached $251 billion. The report calculated a total expenditure of $82 billion for operations in Afghanistan and $24 billion for enhancements in base security attributable to the wars in those countries for a total of $357 billion through fiscal year 2005." [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Ian S. Lustick, Trapped in the War on Terror, 24