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The Costs of War Project

@costsofwar.bsky.social
1.1K followers 211 following 926 posts

The human, budgetary, environmental, and social costs of U.S. wars and military operations, at home and abroad. Housed at Brown University's Watson School of International and Public Affairs at costsofwar.org.

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PERI Umass Amherst @periumass.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Tomorrow, join the @gamechangerspolicy.bsky.social webinar, “Cutting the Military Budget While Improving Real Security” Date: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026 4 p.m./5 p.m. ET Register for the webinar: bit.ly/GCWebinarLabor @ips-dc.org @nationalpriorities.bsky.social @costsofwar.bsky.social
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
From 2020-2024, the U.S. government invested over twice as much money in five weapons companies as it spent on diplomacy and international aid. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/profit...
From 2020-2024, the U.S. government invested over twice as much money in 5 weapons companies as it spent on diplomacy and international aid.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Join us for the @gamechangerspolicy.bsky.social webinar: “Cutting the Military Budget While Improving Real Security” Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 4pm ET With Lindsay Koshgarian, @sunjeevbery.bsky.social, @hannahomestead.bsky.social and Costs of War's Heidi Peltier. Register: bit.ly/GCWebinarLabor
Game Changers Webinar Series
Cutting the Military Budget While Improving Real Security
Wednesday, Sept. 30 / 4-5pm ET
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Even some U.S. defense workers agree: the military’s emissions are a huge problem for the climate. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/uk-and...
Quote: "Just greenwashing isn't going to do it. Just putting solar panels up isn't going to do it. So we're trying to stress that the only way to really lower emissions of the military [is] to make the military smaller." — U.S. military industry worker
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A Navy official revealed that eight service members have attempted suicide on the U.S.S. Lincoln. [1/3] www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Eight USS Lincoln personnel have attempted suicide, US navy confirms
Hung Cao, acting US navy secretary, answered questions from US senator Kirsten Gillibrand in a letter
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
While the decision to go to war can seemingly be made in an instant, the human and economic consequences can last for generations.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Many have made bold claims about the economic benefits the U.S. military brings to Hawai‘i. The facts show the military’s contribution is significantly smaller than most people think. thediplomat.com/2026/09/bust...
thediplomat.com
Busting the Myths of the US Military’s Presence in Hawai‘i
As land leases come up for renewal, a new report reveals the facts about the U.S. Armed Forces’ impacts in the Pacific Islands.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Great article in the Brown Daily Herald with background on our collaboration with Mwatana for Human Rights on recent research on civilian deaths in Yemen: www.browndailyherald.com/article/us-a...
browndailyherald.com
U.S. airstrikes in Yemen caused at least 576 civilian casualties between 2023 and 2025, Watson study estimates
The report examines the human cost of 46 airstrikes from two military operations since December 2023.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
U.S. news organizations’ 9/11 anniversary coverage failed to fully inform the public of the true costs of the wars that followed, writes Elliot Negin, citing our research.  themoneytrail.substack.com/p/us-media-c...
themoneytrail.substack.com
U.S. media coverage of the 9/11 anniversary didn’t tell the whole story
Nearly 3,000 people died on September 11, 2001. Post-9/11 wars killed more than 900,000.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
“A lot of these human war costs are not ones that we Americans are always aware of when we think about war.” The reverberating impacts of war lead to many more deaths than the war itself, notes Stephanie Savell on @btlradionews.bsky.social. btlonline.org/25-years-lat...
btlonline.org
25 Years Later, U.S. Post-9/11 Wars Globally Caused 4.5 Million Deaths, Cost $8 Trillion
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows' Elizabeth Miller and Costs of War Project at Brown University's Watson Institute's Stephanie Savell on the U.S. post-9/11 wars $8 trillion cost, which l...
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
"Within seconds, the drone released a glide bomb, designed to allow operators to identify and strike targets with a high degree of accuracy." Witnesses describe an Israeli drone in Gaza that killed a child and a medic. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
‘Run! Get away!’: witnesses recount Israeli ‘double tap’ strike that killed child and medic in Gaza
When Mohammad Abdul Zinati, 15, rushed to help a man wounded in a bomb attack, he had no time to react before he too was hit
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Renewed displacement and war in Yemen, where a recent @mhren.bsky.social report in collaboration with Costs of War showed U.S. airstrike incidents since Dec. 2023 resulted in at least 576 civilian casualties.  www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
‘We left everything behind’: 125,000 people displaced as war reignites in Yemen
Fierce fighting has forced people to abandon their homes, leaving everything behind to seek shelter in refugee camps
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
“Thirty-seven and a half billion dollars, that’s not a serious number. There’s no way it’s less than $100 billion — but then that’s only the tip of the iceberg.” Costs of War contributor Linda Bilmes on the cost of war with Iran: news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
news.harvard.edu
Linda Bilmes is doing the math — Harvard Gazette
Budget analyst has made it her life’s mission to elucidate the heavy toll of war: "If we don’t account for something, we don’t value it."
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
New CBO estimates for the Iran war cost don't include costs of recent ⁠U.S. strikes on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. It also did not factor in the borrowing expenses associated with financing the war. [THREAD] www.reuters.com/world/middle...
reuters.com
Iran war cost hits $38 billion, forecast to rise $3 billion a month, CBO says
The war is expected to increase U.S. inflation by 0.5% in the first three months of 2027, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The rise in authoritarian policing we’ve seen in recent years has made its way into K-12 schools, writes Costsof War co-founder @cathylutz.bsky.social and @lutzfernandez.bsky.social. www.thenation.com/article/poli...
thenation.com
Electric Shocks for Kids and the Push to Militarize Schools
Electric-shock gloves used on students in Nebraska are the latest sign of how policing, surveillance, and military technology have entered American schools.
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Reposted by The Costs of War Project
Between The Lines Radio Newsmagazine @btlradionews.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
#OnTheAir COUNTERPOINT airs Mondays 8-9:30pmET wpkn.org 89.5FM Bgpt #CT: Elizabeth Miller of 9/11 Families for @peacefultomorrows.bsky.social & Stephanie Savell Dir. Cost of War project reflect on the 9/11 attacks impact on US security, for. policy & civil liberties 25 years later.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Costs of War’s Heidi Peltier speaks at @nukesofhazard.bsky.social 's #CACNP2026 on the trillion-dollar military budget. “In the case of military contract spending, it has routinely been shown that roughly 30-40% of spending results in waste, fraud and abuse.” www.youtube.com/live/ERH6PZr...
youtube.com
2026 Annual Conference — $1 Trillion and Counting: The Pentagon Budget Squeezing Our Real Security
YouTube video by Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation (CACNP)
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Reposted by The Costs of War Project
Nukes of Hazard @nukesofhazard.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Heidi Peltier with @costsofwar.bsky.social: The estimated cost of the GWOT that began in 2001 will be at least $8T. The war in Iran has cost Americans more than $100B in fuel costs alone. #CACNP2026
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"Both state policy and a culture that feels comfortable depicting our religion as insidious... has made it easy for a lot of Americans to squint at a Muslim man and see one of the bad guys," writes Meher Ahmad, citing our research. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | So Much Lies Hidden Beneath the Mamdani-Giuliani Handshake
Who is allowed to mourn Sept. 11 — and its aftermath?
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
“The so-called ‘War on Terror’ never ended in Yemen,” said Costs of War director Stephanie Savell on a new report from Yemen-based @mhren.bsky.social, in collaboration with Costs of War. www.commondreams.org/news/us-airs...
commondreams.org
Report Details 500+ Yemeni Civilian Casualties From 2023-25 US Airstrikes | Common Dreams
"The so-called 'War on Terror' never ended in Yemen," said Costs of War Project director Stephanie Savell. "This report will allow people to hold the US government accountable for the deaths and destr...
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
U.S. allies have borne significant costs in the post-9/11 wars, in terms of both dollars and lives. Besides the U.S., the top 5 countries to send troops to the war in Afghanistan were the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Canada. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/costs-...
Table 1: Top Troop Suppliers to Afghanistan as of February 2011 from the report, "The Costs of War to United States Allies Since 9/11".
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Nearly 3,000 Americans died as a result of the attacks on 9/11. Twenty-five years later, the impacts of the post-9/11 wars have reverberated both at home and abroad. A few of the costs: [THREAD] costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/overview
Text: 25 years after the attacks of 9/11, our research illustrates the costs of two and a half decades of war.
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Reposted by The Costs of War Project
Democracy Now! @democracynow.org · 10/09/2026
Post-9/11 wars fought by the United States killed millions of people when direct and indirect deaths are counted.
democracynow.org
4.7 Million Dead, $8 Trillion: Counting the Devastating Human & Economic Costs of the Post‑9/11 Wars
As part of our weeklong coverage marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks and the launch of the United States’ so-called war on terror, we take a look at the human, financial and envir...
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Breaking: U.S. airstrikes in Yemen Since Dec. 2023 resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties, according to a new report from Yemen-based @mhren.bsky.social in collaboration with Costs of War. [THREAD]
December 2023-May 2025
Civilian Toll of U.S. Airstrikes in Yemen: 213 Killed and 363 Injured
Operation:
Prosperity Guardian, Dec. 18, 2023-Jan. 19, 2025: 5 Killed/22 Injured
Rough Rider, Mar. 15-May 6, 2025: 208 Killed/341 Injured
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
“All of these reverberating costs of war also lead to casualties.” Costs of War’s co-director Stephanie Savell talks to @news.dw.com on the costs of 25 years of the “War on Terror”: www.youtube.com/watch?v=P97p...
youtube.com
The War on Terror 25 years on: Did it make us safer? | DW News
YouTube video by DW News
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Twenty-five years later, our research examines the high costs of the post-9/11 wars.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
In the 25 years since 9/11, the U.S. has spent $8 trillion dollars fighting wars in the name of counterterrorism. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/overview
Pie chart: Estimate of U.S. Post 9/11 War Spending, in $ Billions FY2001-FY2022
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
A letter from our director Stephanie Savell reflecting on 25 years of forever wars since 9/11: “We at Costs of War remember the devastation of thousands of American families and the profound effects of the U.S.-led wars that followed.” [THREAD] conta.cc/4qV21hT
Stephanie Savell, Director, Costs of War
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The Iran War Energy Cost tracker has surpassed $100 billion. That's $100 billion dollars in extra fuel costs for U.S. households since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, 2026. iranwarcost.watson.brown.edu
Screenshot of the Iran War Energy Cost Tracker, https://iranwarcost.watson.brown.edu. $100,805,315,237
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Reposted by The Costs of War Project
Anne Lutz Fernandez @lutzfernandez.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
With data from @costsofwar.bsky.social:
zeteo.com
25 Years Since 9/11: 13 Numbers That Tell the Story
The statistics speak for themselves – 9/11 was a horrific and deadly day for Americans. And so we were the subsequent 25 years for much of the rest of the world.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
At least 4.5 million people have died in post-9/11 war zones as a result of war and its lasting impacts. This is roughly equivalent to the population of Panama.
At least 4.5 million people have died in post-9/11 war zones as a result of war and its reverberating impacts.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
This week marks one year since the Trump administration launched strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific after classifying cartels as terrorist organizations. So far, 227 people have been killed in 68 strikes, reports the New York Times. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Tracking U.S. Military Killings in Boat Attacks
The Trump administration has killed scores of people it accused of smuggling drugs aboard boats. Here are the acknowledged strikes so far.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Since 9/11, the U.S. military has used the internet for influence campaigns. Now, the Pentagon has hired military influencers that are amplifying the Defense Secretary's messaging, reports the Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
washingtonpost.com
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Costs of War's Neta Crawford writes about how the national security establishment’s focus on climate change as a "threat multiplier" may make us less secure — and increase military emissions. thebulletin.org/2026/08/the-...
thebulletin.org
The US military’s fatal stance on climate change
The Pentagon is preparing to wage war in a warmer world, even as it accelerates it
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
In the six months since the U.S. and Israel began strikes against Iran, American consumers have spent an additional $92.9 billion in extra fuel costs. iranwarcost.watson.brown.edu
Screenshot of the Iran War Energy Cost Tracker, https://iranwarcost.watson.brown.edu.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
An “AI-first” fighting force will come with even higher greenhouse gas emissions, writes Costs of War co-founder Neta Crawford. thebulletin.org/2026/08/the-...
"More recently, military spending has boosted greenhouse gas emissions in the civilian sector by its demand for artificial intelligence and quantum computing, an energy hungry sector of the economy. Like the internet, AI has been both paid for and then used by the US military. The Defense Department announced in May 2026 that its AI use had increased 1,775 percent over the past calendar year. The Defense Department, which says that it will be an “AI-first” fighting force, has forged agreements with SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Reflection to use their capabilities for warfighting and other applications. But this military funding for AI has also shaped the research and the demand for artificial intelligence in the larger economy, boosting AI energy use overall."
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Reposted by The Costs of War Project
Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government @harvardbizgov.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
War costs go far beyond the initial $37.5 billion price tag, experts like M-RCBG’s Linda Bilmes break down the true long-term financial impact and what it means for future generations. More insights here: www.hks.harvard.edu/explainers/iran…
hks.harvard.edu
Iran war costs: Is the $37.5B figure accurate?
Public finance expert and HKS professor Linda Bilmes analyzes the administrations’ claims of the Iran war’s costs, the long term war cost considerations, and how the expense is actually being passed d...
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
The U.S. military has killed at least 223 people in 67 strikes in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific since last year, reports the New York Times, citing our research on the costs of these operations: $4.7 billion and counting. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/u...
nytimes.com
U.S. Military Kills 2 People in Attack on Boat in Pacific
The United States has killed at least 223 people since its campaign of boat strikes began nearly a year ago.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
How much does war contribute to the climate crisis? Nobody knows, because there is no comprehensive accounting, writes Costs of War co-founder Neta Crawford in @thebulletin.org. thebulletin.org/2026/08/miss...
thebulletin.org
Mission impossible? Quantifying military emissions
Military and wartime emissions are difficult to track—but too important to ignore.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Military contractors began spreading their subcontracting chains more widely across the American landscape in the years following the Cold War. This strategy further entrenched military spending as a priority for U.S. lawmakers.
Picture of U.S. Capitol with text: Lockheed Martin, which gets 96% of its revenue from U.S. taxpayers via defense contracts, spreads its F-35 production to 45 states. This is one strategy weapons makers use to ensure that lawmakers prioritize high military spending that fuels the war economy.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
The Pentagon is reportedly threatening to cut funding to 30 universities unless they review and cut foreign academic partnerships deemed a national security risk. Most of these are aimed largely at universities with ties to Chinese institutions. [THREAD] www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Pentagon threatens to cut federal funding to 30 universities over foreign academic partnerships
Harvard, MIT and others face directive to review and cut alliances Pentagon deems national security risk
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Post-9/11 laws and policies have emerged to police activists involved in constitutionally protected activities as "terrorists". Our research looks at how media coverage has advanced that framing, with dire consequences for democracy. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/why-me...
The mother and brother of slain eco-activist Manuel Teran, carry signs on a march from Atlanta's Gresham Park on June 28, 2023. Photo by Collin Mayfield, SIPA USA. (Sipa via AP Images)
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
More than 40 percent of post-9/11 veterans – an extraordinarily high proportion – are entitled to lifetime disability payments, and this number is expected to increase to 54 percent over the next 30 years. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/long-t...
More than 40% of veterans of post-9/11 wars are entitled to lifetime disability payments. This number is expected to increase to 54% over the next 30 years.

WWII, Korea, Vietnam & First Gulf War Veterans: 25%
Post-9/11 Veterans: 40%
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The Military Sexual Trauma Accountability Act would allow service members to sue the military for sexual misconduct and related issues. Sexual assault prevalence in the military is likely two to four times higher than official government estimations. thewarhorse.org/military-sex...
thewarhorse.org
Military Sexual Trauma Survivors Can't Sue the Government. A New Bill Could Change That
A new bipartisan bill would allow service members to sue the military for sexual misconduct and related issues.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Deaths caused by governments in the name of counterterrorism vastly exceed deaths caused by militant groups who use terror tactics. Read the research: costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/beyond...
Beyond the War Paradigm: What History Tells Us About How Terror Campaigns End
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
To prepare for a possible war with China, the U.S. military has put Hawai’i on the front lines of a potential nuclear conflict, writes Costs of War contributor William Hartung. theintercept.com/2026/08/10/c...
theintercept.com
The Pentagon’s Obsession With China Puts Hawai‘i at Risk
To prepare for a possible war with China, the U.S. military has put Hawai’i on the front lines of a potential nuclear conflict.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Michael Fuchs at @open-society.bsky.social states it plainly, citing the high costs of the post-9/11 wars: It is long past time for the U.S. to withdraw its forces from the Middle East, and ramp up diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian efforts in the region. www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...
foreignaffairs.com
America Must Let Go of the Middle East
The Failed Iran war should spur a long-overdue withdrawal.
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Gas price at the start of the war with Iran (Feb. 28, 2026): $2.982 National average today: $4.036
Screenshot from the Iran War Energy Cost tracker
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Classifying cartels as terrorist organizations paved the way for expanding U.S. forces in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, and eventual military aggression against Venezuela's President Maduro. Since Aug. 2025, the U.S. has spent at least $4.7 billion on operations in the region.
Chart: Estimated Cumulative Costs of Operations Souther Spear and Absolute Resolve, August 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026 from the report, "Budgetary Costs of U.S. Military Operations in Venezuela, the Caribbean, and the Eastern Pacific, August 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026"
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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
The U.S. post-9/11 wars have forcibly displaced at least 38 million people. This exceeds those displaced by every war since the start of the 20th century, except for World War II. [1/3]
Map of displacement from the research, "Millions displaced by U.S. post-9/11 wars".
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