Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

News

The Graphic Truth: Was the US war in Afghanistan worth it?

The Graphic Truth: Was the US war in Afghanistan worth it?
Paige Fusco
Make us preferred on Google

Afghanistan has been America's longest war — by a long shot. In today's dollars (adjusted for inflation) it's also the third most expensive US foreign war ever, surpassed only by Iraq and World War II. Yet, nearly 20 years of American boots on the ground and over $2 trillion spent have failed to prevent the unfolding catastrophe as the last US troops leave Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the human toll has been enormous: over 3 million Afghans have been displaced, and tens of thousands of Afghan security forces and US military personnel and contractors have been killed in a war that's come full circle, with the Taliban now in charge once again. We take a look at some of the economic and human costs of two decades of US military involvement in Afghanistan.

More For You

Rohingya refugees gather in front of the office of the U.N. refugee agency after being evicted from their homes, at Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

Rohingya refugees gather in front of the office of the U.N. refugee agency after being evicted from their homes, at Kuala Lumpur Malaysia July 27, 2026.

REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain
Malaysia sends Rohingya back to Myanmar despite security concernsThe Malaysian government started repatriating Rohingya refugees to Myanmar today with the goal of sending about 5,000 home over the next few weeks. Since 2017, millions of Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority, have fled Myanmar amid widespread persecution under both [...]
A destroyed tank is seen in a field in the aftermath of fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces in Kasagita town, in Afar region, Ethiopia.

A destroyed tank is seen in a field in the aftermath of fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces in Kasagita town, in Afar region, Ethiopia, February 25, 2022.

REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri
Four years ago, a peace agreement ended one of the deadliest conflicts of this century, the Tigray War in northern Ethiopia. Fighting between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a political party and armed rebel movement controlling the northern Tigray region, claimed 600,000 lives and displaced over 5 [...]
Budget bougie
Natalie Johnson
That’s not exactly cheap for a tiny tin of fish eggs, but compared to traditional caviar prices – which can range from about $350 to $3,000 for a similar portion – that’s an unprecedented bargain. Prices for the delicacy are falling across the board these days, for two reasons. First, direct-to-consumer sellers are disrupting the traditional [...]
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic waves to citizens outside the Presidency of Serbia moments before formally submitting his resignation, ending his second and final five-year term in office, in Belgrade, Serbia.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic waves to citizens outside the Presidency of Serbia moments before formally submitting his resignation, ending his second and final five-year term in office, in Belgrade, Serbia, September 27, 2026.

REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic
Serbia’s Vucic resigns, but isn’t going farSerbian President Aleksandar Vučić officially resigned on Sunday, but he’s not trying to go far. Vučić, constitutionally barred from seeking a third presidential term, is now running for prime minister in next month’s snap elections, which could let him extend his 14-year-long grip on power. Vučić and his [...]