About $60 billion. That’s the least we can say American taxpayers will shoulder this year alone due to Dick Cheney’s controversial actions in Iraq.
This $60 billion only accounts for the interest added to our national debt, not the direct costs incurred during the Iraq War from 2003 to 2014. Cheney, who recently passed away, leaves behind a legacy intertwined with this costly conflict and the hasty decisions that led the U.S. into it.
His calm exterior often masked a sense of arrogance. Cheney’s tenure as vice president was fraught with turmoil, and it helped set into motion a destructive trajectory for the neoconservative faction of the Republican Party—one that has morphed into today’s divisive populist politics.
Some might argue that he ranks as the most disastrous vice president in U.S. history.
It’s curious, though. He was competent as Secretary of Defense during the Gulf War under George H.W. Bush in 1991. But back then, his authority was checked by a strong White House and a seasoned president.
Goals were clear, and there was widespread political support for intervention. Interestingly, more than 80% of the financial burden was shouldered by other nations. This resulted in the U.S. incurring a cost of about $7.3 billion (in 1991 dollars), which many would consider reasonable to secure oil interests at a time when America relied heavily on imports.
Looking back, not removing Saddam Hussein might seem like a misstep. However, there wasn’t a plan or even much backing for such a move at the time. Instead of surrendering power as many expected, Hussein resorted to violent suppression of his opponents, reinforcing his regime.
Cheney’s subsequent push appeared driven by a desire to settle scores. Iraq, a nation born from the chaos of World War I, had long been a cauldron of ethnic and sectarian strife, compounded by clan feuds. Struggling with low literacy and health standards, and wary of foreign influence, Iraq relied on Hussein’s oppressive governance to stay intact.
Cheney, along with Rumsfeld, seemed oblivious to these complexities. Post-war planning was virtually nonexistent, and their bulldozing approach eliminated all dissent. George W. Bush, lacking experience, followed their lead. Unsurprisingly, once the regime’s apparatus was dismantled, the country spiraled into violence. Most Iraqis were united in their opposition to foreign occupation.
The war initially cost about $42.5 billion, far less than earlier predictions of $50-60 billion. Yet, during the next five years, the costs ballooned to an astonishing $462 billion—purely from the Bush-Cheney administration’s direct military expenditures.
What’s more, these figures cover only Pentagon spending related to the conflict. The true costs will certainly be higher. The war was financed entirely through debt, meaning interest would accrue over time. Including the costs associated with subsequently battling ISIS (which emerged as a surprising fallout from the war) and the ongoing occupation since 2009, expenses have surpassed $1.3 trillion.
Then, we have additional expenditures outside of the defense budget—think USAID and CIA operations, among others. Estimates rest anywhere between $2 trillion and potentially $4 trillion. The latter amount would equate to around 10% of today’s national debt along with close to $200 billion in interest payments.
This doesn’t take into account the human cost, with over 4,400 U.S. personnel dead and nearly 32,000 injured. The ripple effects, like diminished productivity due to PTSD, abuse, and other war-related conditions, add another layer to the overall impact.
Sure, Saddam posed a problem back in 2003, and lesser measures like sanctions didn’t contain him. But a full-scale invasion and subsequent occupation felt akin to an explosive placed underground—loaded with unintended consequences.
Given Cheney’s vast experience, such errors shouldn’t have happened. The same goes for Rumsfeld. Their pushy approach, coupled with a feeble president, led to considerable disaster—there was no significant intellectual or bureaucratic challenge to either of them.
In an interview, Cheney once remarked, “Let someone else do it, we’ve done our part.” In light of the devastating consequences—the events of 9/11—it seems a flawed perspective. The reality is that protecting the nation and pursuing military action requires extensive planning and clarity of purpose. Unfortunately, those elements were sorely lacking under Cheney.
Arrogance dominated the decision-making process. And, sadly, the costs of these choices are still echoing through the nation today.
