Is it really three trillion? -- The costs to the nation's budget -- The true cost of caring for our veterans -- Costs of war that the government doesn't pay -- The macroeconomic effects of the war -- Global consequences -- Exiting Iraq -- Learning from our mistakes : reforms for the future --...

This paper attempts to provide a more complete reckoning of the costs of the Iraq War, using standard economic and accounting/ budgetary frameworks. As of December 30, 2005, total spending for combat and support operations in Iraq is $251bn, and the CBO's estimates put the projected total direct...