Paper
There are many uncertainties, unknowns, and biases that cloud the simple question: What is the Department of Defense’s cost for the post-9/11 wars?
We have derived great benefit from the objective and professional analysis of the costs of
the wars from organizations like the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the
Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
However, the work of these institutions to estimate the costs rests on a foundation of
quicksand, and they do not address some very large indirect Defense Department costs
that should be attributed to the wars.