9/11 Attacks & the WAR on terror

Explore our ultimate 9/11 archive. Dive into research on Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, prior intelligence warnings, and questions surrounding the official history.

9/11 Attacks and the WAR on terror

War on Terrorism? War is Terror!

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the U.S. launched the broad military, intelligence, and geopolitical campaign known as the War on Terror, which transformed global security and created staggering financial and human casualties. Al Jazeera 9/26

Read our article on U.S. Military Prodigal Spending and Peaceful Alternatives from October 2021. It is based on Dr Norbert Stute's visionary essay Financial Costs of War from January 2003, which was published two months before the start of the Iraq War!

Financial Cost: The Trillions Spent

Comprehensive evaluations from independent researchers, including the Costs of War Project at Brown University, place the overall cost of post-9/11 operations at over $8 trillion. War Costs 3/26, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies 3/26.

  • Direct Military Operations (~$3 Trillion): Operational spending across major combat theaters, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and counterterrorism efforts across Pakistan, Yemen, and Africa.
  • Homeland Security & Defense Base Budgets (~$2.3 Trillion): Expanded domestic surveillance, border security, airport infrastructure (e.g., TSA), and elevated Department of Defense budgets.
  • Veterans' Long-Term Care (~$2.2 Trillion): Projected future obligations through 2050 to cover medical care, disability payments, and support for post-9/11 service members.
  • National Debt Interest (~$1 Trillion+): Unlike previous major wars, post-9/11 conflicts were financed predominantly through deficit spending rather than tax hikes, resulting in compounding interest.

Human Toll: Millions of Lives Lost & Displaced

The human impact spans direct casualties from combat operations to secondary deaths caused by economic collapse, damaged health systems, and displacement. Costs of War - Brown University 9/26.

  • Direct Combat Fatalities (~900,000–940,000):
    • Civilians: An estimated 432,000+ civilians directly killed by violence (bombings, air strikes, insurgency).
    • U.S. & Allied Service Members: Over 7,000 U.S. military personnel killed, alongside more than 8,000 U.S. contractors and thousands of allied forces.
    • Local Forces: Tens of thousands of national police and military personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, and regional allies.
  • Indirect Fatalities (~3.6–3.8 Million):
    • War zone destruction caused systemic water shortages, food insecurity, destroyed healthcare infrastructure, and rampant infectious diseases, leading to millions of preventable deaths.
  • Displacement (~38 Million):
    • The conflicts forced approximately 38 million people from their homes across Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan—marking the largest mass displacement event since World War II.

Draft: Google Gemini, partly edited by Dr. Norbert Stute, Date: 11.09.26