Fighter jet program. Its final cost is expected to be 1.5 trillion dollars, making it the

most expensive weapon in history. This huge expense is just one of many in the US’s

ongoing War on Terror. With President Obama halting withdrawal from Afghanistan, the total

price tag is only set to rise. So just how expensive is the war on terror?

Well, since the attacks of September 11th, the US has been engaged in simultaneous wars

in Afghanistan and Iraq. This, plus other regional engagements over the past 14 years,

has been known as the War on Terror. It has been one of the longest in US history, and

produced more than 1.2 million casualties. Back in 2003, the wars were originally budgeted

to cost about $68 billion dollars. But as troop levels and involvement rose, by 2014

the US had spent as much as 1.6 trillion dollars. To put that in perspective, taxpayers have

been paying around $14 million dollars an hour since 9/11. So, what exactly is this

money being spent on?

Most of the money is divided into three budgets: the Department of Defense, the State Department

and the Department of Veterans Administration. The majority of the funds are given to the

DOD for military operations. The Iraq war constitutes 51% of the budget, while the war

in Afghanistan makes up 43%. The rest of the funding is designated to enhanced security

at military bases worldwide, and other associated wartime costs.

Yet, the expenses aren’t over. Congress has approved additional funding for the 2015

fiscal year to join the war effort against ISIS. This puts the total cost of the War

at 1.7 trillion, making it the second most expensive war in US history, after World War

II. One think tank has even predicted that the total cost would eclipse 5 TRILLION dollars.

So after spending all this money in the name of safety, is the world better off than it

was 13 years ago? Many experts say that the U.S.’s military actions have only increased

the threat of extremism and instability. With terrorist groups expanding, the bill for the

War on Terror is only expected to grow.

One terrorist group that has survived the war on terror is the Taliban. Find out in

this video up top. Some people blame the U.S. for the creation of these terrorist groups.

Watch the video down below to learn more about that theory. Thanks for watching! Don’t

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