Aljazeera.com created an interactive chart titled “September 11: Counting the costs to America” online: “Future Military: $1.38 trillion
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will continue to be a drain on US taxpayers long after the last troops have been withdrawn.
More than 50,000 Americans have been wounded in those two wars; some of them will need medical care and disability insurance for decades to come. Those costs could near $1 trillion over the next 40 years, according to US government estimates.
And, of course, that final withdrawal hasn’t happened yet. Thousands of US troops could potentially remain in Iraq after 2011; as for Afghanistan, NATO leaders have said no serious drawdown will begin before 2014.”
– Gregg Carlstrom, “Interactive: How much did 9/11 cost the US? The attacks, which cost perhaps $400,000 to execute, will cost the United States more than $5 trillion.,” Aljazeera.com, Sept. 1, 2011