Quantifying a War

National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" interviewed the Brookings Institution's Michael O'Hanlon who has published, often in the New York Times a segment called Iraq by the Numbers. Upon the withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq, O'Hanlon attempted to provide final numbers. Among the costs:
-4,500 American dead (with an additional 60,000 wounded, half of them seriously), 100,000-150,000 Iraqi civilians dead and about 10,000 Iraqi military deaths
-$700 billion in direct costs with ripple effects throughout the economy that could potentially mean the total cost to the US economy reached $3 trillion

Upon the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom conditions in Iraq remain mixed:
-Oil production is slightly higher than it was before the war, about 2.5 million barrels per day, though some estimate Iraq has the resources to potentially produce 6 million barrels per day with the right investment
-O'Hanlon estimates unemployment to be over 30%
-Electricity production is nearly double what it was under Saddam Hussein, 7,000-8,000 megawatts vs. 4,000 before the war
-5 million Iraqis displaced (3 million internally and 2 million abroad) of which 1 million have been able to return out of an Iraqi population of somewhat more than 25 million.
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