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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

Suitt found that at least four times as many service members and war veterans of post-9/11 conflicts died of suicide than in combat.

Graphic:

7,057 U.S. service members killed in post-9/11 war operations

30,177 suicides among U.S. service members & veterans of the post-9/11 wars

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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 · 18/09/2026

Read the report, “Deaths and Human Costs of U.S. Airstrikes on Civilian Populations in Yemen”. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/YemenA...

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 · 15/09/2026

Read the report, "Deaths and Human Costs of U.S. Airstrikes on Civilian Populations in Yemen". costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/YemenA...

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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

Financial costs: $8 trillion (and counting) [4/6]

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 · 11/09/2026

Indirect deaths: 3.6-3.8 million (and counting) [3/6]

Text: 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 · 11/09/2026

Direct deaths in post-9/11 war zones: 905,000 - 940,000 [2/6]

Chart: Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones, Afghanistan & Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – March 2023); Syria (Sept. 2014 – March 2023); Yemen (Oct. 2002-Aug. 2021) and Other Post-9/11 War Zones

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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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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

“It’s important that we continue to account for the civilian lives lost, harmed and disrupted in Yemen and other U.S. war zones,” notes Costs of War director Stephanie Savell. [9/10]

Text: "The so-called ‘War on Terror’ never ended in Yemen,” said Stephanie Savell, Director of Costs of War. “It’s important that we continue to account for the civilian lives lost, harmed and disrupted in Yemen and other U.S. war zones. This report will allow people to hold the U.S. government accountable for the deaths and destruction it has caused in Yemen in support of the Israeli government’s wars since 2023.”

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

To document the civilian toll, Mwatana for Human Rights’ field team conducted site visits to several airstrike locations and carried out 59 interviews with survivors, family members of victims, eyewitnesses, first responders, and other primary sources. [7/10]

Text: "I lost my home, and I lost my son, who is still in the morgue refrigerator. I have not been able to bury him because I cannot afford the costs of retrieving his body from the hospital." — Interview with a Yemeni man conducted five months after a 2025 U.S. attack that resulted in the loss of his home and his 17-year-old son.

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

From December 2023 to May 2025, 46 U.S. airstrike incidents resulted in at least 576 civilian casualties: 213 people were killed and 363 were injured, including 50 children and 25 women. [2/10] costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/YemenA...

An image of an incident site (a basement) in Sana’a City following U.S. airstrikes under "Operation Rough Rider" on March 23, 2025. Photo taken by a Mwatana researcher in Sana’a City Governate.

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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]

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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

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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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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Read the overview on the true costs of the post-9/11 wars: costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/overview

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 · 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

Our research shows that the costs of these operations, including the operation to oust Venezuelan leader Maduro, cost $4.7 billion — and counting. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/papers/boats...

Graphic: Estimated Cumulative Costs of Operations Souther Spear and Absoulte Resolve, Aug. 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 · 02/09/2026

The U.S. military and other militaries use social media platforms to conduct mass and targeted influence campaigns, leverage algorithms, and deploy information, misinformation, and disinformation to shape how billions perceive them, their adversaries, and the conditions of war.

Text: The U.S. military uses social media to recruit, influence, and shape how we see war and peace, and the military itself.

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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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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Read the research, authored by Hanna Homestead and Jennifer Kavanagh, "Budgetary Costs of U.S. Military Operations in Venezuela, the Caribbean, and the Eastern Pacific, August 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026". costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/papers/boats...

Graphic from the report, "Budgetary Costs of U.S. Military Operations in Venezuela, the Caribbean, and the Eastern Pacific, August 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026". https://costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/papers/boatstrikes_venezuela

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Read the research, "From a Militarized to a Decarbonized Economy: A Case for Conversion". costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/milita...

Of the 20 states with economies most dependent on military manufacturing, 14 experience poverty at similar or higher rates than the national average.

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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

Read the report, "The Costs of U.S.-China Militarized Rivalry for Chinese and Asian Americans: Hate Crimes, Unjust Targeting of Scholars, and Legal Exclusions" by Suisheng Zhao. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/HumanC...

People hold a "stop asian hate" sign as they attend a Justice for Asian Women Rally in Times Square, New York, NY, March 16, 2022. (Photo by Anthony Behar/Sipa USA via AP Images)

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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

Read the research, "Deserted: The U.S. Military's Sexual Assault Crisis as a Cost of War". costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/desert...

Infographic from the report, "Deserted: The U.S. Military's Sexual Assault Crisis as a Cost of War".

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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 · 12/08/2026

Total extra fuel costs (gasoline and diesel) since the start of the Iran war exceed $83 billion in the U.S. Visit the tracker by the Climate Solutions Lab: iranwarcost.watson.brown.edu

Screenshot of Iran War Energy Cost Tracker

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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

Read the research, "Creating Refugees: Displacement Caused by the United States’ Post-9/11 Wars". [2/3] costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/update...

Graph of displacement by country from the paper, "Creating Refugees: Displacement Caused by the United States’ Post-9/11 Wars".

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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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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Completely redoing the nation’s air traffic control system ($31.5 billion) and repairing all of the bridges currently rated in poor condition ($319 billion) would comprise about 10 percent of the expense of U.S. military competition with China since 2012. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/Milita...

Upgrading key U.S. infrastructure would cost 1/10 of what the U.S. has spent on military competition with China since 2012 ($3.4 trillion).

--Completely redoing the U.S. air traffic control system: $31.5 billion
--Repairing all the currently rated "poor condition" bridges in the U.S.: $319 billion

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

The Army spent $117 million in 2023 reviving its iconic “Be All You Can Be” recruitment campaign for social media platforms. By 2024, it had exceeded its recruiting target, enlisting 55,300 new soldiers.

In 2023, the Army spent $117 million reviving its iconic "Be All You Can Be" recruitment campaign for social media platforms. By 2024, the Army had exceeded its recruiting target, enlisting 55,300 new soldiers.

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

The connections between play, patriotism and war run deep. Five years into the U.S. war in Iraq, an online search for “G.I. Joe” produced at least 35 obituaries for military personnel that mentioned the toy as inspiration for serving.

After 9/11, war toys surged in popularity. G.I. Joe generated roughly $80 million in sales in 2001, doubling over the prior year. Five years into the U.S. war in Iraq, an online search for "G.I. Joe" produced at least 35 obituaries for military personnel that mentioned the toy as inspiration for serving.

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

The U.S. government’s current legal structure around immigration enforcement is a cost of the post-9/11 wars. Read the research, “Terrorizing Migrants: Five Ways Post-9/11 Legal Precedents Paved the Way for Anti-Immigrant Actions in the United States.” costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/terror...

In this August 29, 2021, file photo reviewed by U.S. military officials, a flag flies at half-staff as seen from Camp Justice in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

The military sectors make up almost two-thirds (61%) of the U.S. federal discretionary budget and 78% of the federal workforce. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/employ...

Pie chart: In 2024, at least 61% of the discretionary budgtet went towards military-related spending.
49%: Defense
7%: Veterans Affairs
5%: Homeland Security
39%: All Other Departments

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Instead of funding endless wars, the U.S. could fund meaningful ways to increase true human security and wellbeing. Via @stephensemler.bsky.social.

Costs of War contributor Stephen Semler illustrates what the Trump Administration's proposed $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget could fund instead of war.

Chart: What $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon could fund instead

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

As U.S. veterans continue to bear huge physical and mental costs from the post-9/11 wars, the cost of caring for them is expected to top $2 trillion by 2050. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/long-t...

Between 2001-2050: The total costs of caring for veterans of the post-9/11 wars are estimated to reach $2.2 - $2.5 trillion.

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

U.S. mass surveillance since 9/11 disproportionately impacts Muslims, immigrants, and protesters for racial, environmental, and labor justice. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/total-...

Our ever-expanding surveillance systems have acquired an aura of inevitability, which organizers and regulators struggle against. Yet they are not inevitable. They are policy choices driven by the fear, Islamophobia and xenophobia, weakened civil liberties protections, and exponentially increased funding of the post-9/11 era.

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Of the 20 states with economies most dependent on military manufacturing, 14 experience poverty at similar or higher rates than the national average. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/milita...

Inforgraphic: Of the 20 states with economies most dependent on military manufacturing, 14 experience poverty at similar or higher rates than the national average: CA, TX, VA, FL, PA, MO, AZ, AL, KY, NY, GA, WI, OH, and IL.

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Read the cultural analysis, "The Militarization of Video Game Culture," part of the Consuming War series. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/paper/consum...

Text: The horrors of war and the joys of play through video games are seemingly incompatible. But their histories are inextricably linked.

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The Costs of War Project @costsofwar.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Drone operators carry out remote strikes from half a world away using video game-style controllers adopted from popular home game systems.

Rachel Berger’s Bullet I is an Xbox controller that has been dipped in lead and accented with copper thumbsticks. From the paper, "The Militarization of Video Game Culture".

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