According to the Watson Institute at Brown University, by 2016 the costs of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since 9/11 are estimated to include the direct deaths of 6,900 U.S. soldiers, 7,000 U.S. contractors, 50,000 allied Afghani, Iraqi and Pakistani troops in combat, and 217,000 civilians. The indirect deaths from injuries, disease and other causes are estimated around 870,000 civilians. The monetary cost is nearing $6 trillion.

There are a multitude of other terrible costs, such as the suffering of veterans from war injuries, including post-traumatic stress, many lasting for life.

Now some members of President Donald Trump’s regime want to start a war with Iran. What will that cost?

Have no lessons been learned from previous and ongoing wars?

Has genuine diplomacy ever been pursued?

Anyone concerned about such matters should read Norman Solomon’s most revealing book, “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.”

Leslie E. Sponsel

Hawaii Kai

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