Watch the #ajstream post-show live here http://ow.ly/6pdJy #aje911 #ajstream

Now on #AJSTREAM: @ojazeera reports from NYC—tweet us your questions/comments #aje911 #911

GRAPHIC: Spike in defense spending since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 http://ow.ly/6p9zL #aje911 #ajstream #911

DRAWINGS: War and US economy http://ow.ly/6pd3U http://ow.ly/6pd3V http://ow.ly/6pd3W http://ow.ly/6pd3X #ajstream #aje911 #911

GRAPHIC: The cost of 9/11 to America http://ow.ly/6p9yA #ajstream #aje911 #911

Pitch your story ideas to us in a brief video and tweet it to us using #ajstream

NOW ON #AJSTREAM: Assad's Shadow Army http://ow.ly/6o3sx watch the live program here http://t.co/5F2gVTU #syria

IN PHOTOS: #Syria Electronic Army spamming #Obama and #Sarkozy FB pages http://ow.ly/6o46z http://ow.ly/6o46V #ajstream

IN PHOTOS: SEA retaliation after #Anonymous hacked the Syrian Defense Ministry http://ow.ly/6o4eJ #ajstream #anonplus

In the conversation now—Ron Deibert from @citizenlab what do you want to ask him? #ajstream #syria

Live on #ajstream NOW-- Assad's Shadow Army http://ow.ly/6o5SE watch the live program here http://t.co/5F2gVTU #syria

Read more about the stories #ajstream covers on our FB page http://ow.ly/6o3w5

FEED #AJSTREAM: Discussing the time difference in #Gaza—tweet in your comments/questions

FEED #AJSTREAM: Caricature of the Palestinian reconciliation efforts http://t.co/ObF3jBi #hamas #fatah

#AJSTREAM Call-Out http://ow.ly/6o3Qb Tell us your #911 story #aje911

NOW ON #AJSTREAM: Twitter Terrorism in Mexico http://ow.ly/6o3B2 watch the live program here http://t.co/5F2gVTU #twiterxslibres

Discussing #Veracuz live now on #ajstream with @JohnMAckerman what do you want to ask him? http://t.co/5F2gVTU #twiterxslibres

Are you following #Koreacruz ?? Are there any blogs drawing comparisons between Korea and Veracruz? #ajstream

Al-Jazeera to interview Colin Powell, for 9/11 Decade coverage. What would you ask him? http://t.co/ya0ZKOm #AJE911 #ajstream

Do you the #911 attack led to the 2008 financial crisis in the US? Read this http://ow.ly/6oEw3 and tell us what you think #ajstream

Yahoo for sale http://ow.ly/6oFET #ajstream

Has war spending helped the US economy at all? Has it helped at all? Are the benefits worth the costs? #aje911 #ajstream #911

VIDEO: Project out of Israel http://ow.ly/6oFnh #ajstream

On #ajstream-- we'll be discussing the #911 attacks, how did the event change you? http://ow.ly/6oGxp Tell us your #911 story #aje911

Analysts blame US economic problems on #911 attacks- do you agree? Why/why not? Who is to blame? Tell #ajstream on FB http://ow.ly/6oF7Q

On #ajstream today we'll speak to @WajahatAli about life after #911, read more of his writing here http://ow.ly/6oEDv and tweet qs/comments

What stories are you following today? What hashtags should we be watching? #ajstream

Some people say US debt is the most significant threat to the country's national security-- do you agree? #ajstream http://ow.ly/6oEOg

Linda Bilmes joins #ajstream to discuss the economic hardships post-#911 Learn more about her here http://ow.ly/6oET2 Want to ask her a q?

US military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan were first since Rev. War to be financed with BORROWED money-- was it worth it? #ajstream

#Brazil: Road to #FIFA #WorldCup and #Olympics Paved with Forced Eviction http://ow.ly/6oFyw #ajstream

Have the US wars in #Iraq and #Afghanistan been worth the cost to the country's economy? What do you think? #ajstream

President Clinton left an $86 billion budget surplus when Bush succeeded him-- what could have been done differently after #911? #ajstream

Discussing the hidden costs of war on #ajstream today watch this http://t.co/Q4bJBcS and tell us what you think

Replacing #WTC has a $3 billion price tag, $1 billion to fix the Pentagon building-- worth it? To US taxpayers? What do you think? #ajstream

Are the #911 attacks to blame for the current US economic crisis? Tell #ajstream what you think on FB http://ow.ly/6oGuD

Analysts blame US economic problems on #911 attacks- do you agree? Why/why not? Who is to blame? Tell #ajstream on FB http://ow.ly/6oF7Q

On #ajstream today we'll speak to @WajahatAli about life after #911, read more of his writing here http://ow.ly/6oG7J and tweet qs/comments

On #ajstream-- we'll be discussing the #911 attacks, how did the event change you? http://ow.ly/6oGys Tell us your #911 story #aje911

No one uses Foursquare? http://ow.ly/6oYmX #ajstream

What stories are you following today? What hashtags should we be watching? #ajstream

Hackers= Mobsters? The US seems to think so... http://ow.ly/6oYrE #ajstream

Find my i-Phone helps locate plane after crash http://ow.ly/6oYFv #ajstream

Cambodia: ‘Avatar' Rally to Protect Country’s Forest from @globalvoices http://ow.ly/6oYT8 See #ajstream coverage here http://ow.ly/6oYRe

#ajstream live show starts at 1930GMT-- have something to say? Want your voice heard? http://ow.ly/6p9c1

#ajstream pre-show is live now, watch it here http://t.co/5F2gVTU

#ajstream is live NOW-- watch it at http://t.co/5F2gVTU

On the couch-- @WajahatAli joins #ajstream talking about #911 now—tweet us your qs/comments #aje911

Wanna be a contributor on #ajstream? We’ll put you on the show during our Google+ segment—tweet us your contact info #ajstreamgoogleplus

FEED #AJSTREAM: One viewer’s #911 experience http://ow.ly/6p9Y7 #aje911

FEED #AJSTREAM: For more #aje911 reactions visit this site http://ow.ly/6pa4b #911

Now on #AJSTREAM: America’s costliest decade? http://ow.ly/6p9Gf tweet questions and comments #aje911 #911

DRAWINGS: War and US economy http://ow.ly/6p9Bz http://ow.ly/6p9BS http://ow.ly/6p9CH http://ow.ly/6p9D8 #ajstream #aje911 #911

Linda Bilmes is on #ajstream live—check out her latest book here, and tweet us questions—we’ll ask her live, now http://ow.ly/6paje

Watch #ajstream now live here http://ow.ly/6p9JS #aje911 #ajstream

ogar35 | Lagos/Abuja: @AJStream Th 9/11 affected US economic problem bc the forma pres Gorge W B use all him time fighter war and forgotten US econ da cause trb

Silver_100 | London, United Kingdom: 8 #Syrian security personnel are #killed & dozens #injured in clashes between #government #forces & armed men in city of #Homs #Arabs @ASE

Gootmang | Newark, DE: Just got home in time to catch post-Stream show on stream.aljazeera.com talking long-term impact of 9/11 on economy #AJStream

mhopp7 | Milwaukee, WI, USA: @ASE @AJStream drones strikes are tactically effective but they undermine our strategy by alienating populations. Worth the price tag?

ammr | Qatar: The @AJStream discusses the role 9/11 has played in #America's current #economic troubles | http://t.co/YfbjrJV

electricrambler | Bangkok: @AJStream the war on terror will never end. It was created for purpose of profit & neo-imperialism. It's succeeded so why would they end it

sleeplessinva | Tehran, Iran: @ajstream cost of contractors in the long term is cheap because there are no long term benefits to pay compared to #veterans

WajahatAli | Bay Area, Ca: enjoying this convo on the #ajstream

hammametsou | : @ashong questions r: who profited from the $3-6 trillions, who r lobbying 4war & does the US really want 2 win the war on terror? #AJStream

othinjeremiah | Uganda: @AJStream nice am in Uganda and i really like the show

TheREALSarahJ | Humboldt County California: #AJStream we are feeling the pain all right: education, social services, no jobs, increased living costs etc. We feel the pain, the People!

othinjeremiah | Uganda: @AJStream am jeremi in Uganda but i think the cost of 9/11 is now costing Asia and Africa more

Alone2Alone | UK: #AJStream how can any talk of war be reduced to a cost/benefit risk/reward exercise? These approaches will not touch the heart.

sleeplessinva | Tehran, Iran: @ajstream people may seem apathetic/disconnected cuz they can't afford to worry about the problems. #foreclosure #unemployment #medicalcost

LEADERSONMASK | null: @AJStream foolishness cost a furtune,illigal crude oil vampires lik usa

mhopp7 | Milwaukee, WI, USA: @AJStream how have these wars affected america's ability to project soft power?

Liberte_info | Paris.France.EU.World.*: There is also the cost in terms of civil liberties, that the Patriot Act completely destroyed. #AJStream

__Moretti__ | Babylon (America) District 45: Well a 'Global' team should have done the further research into 9/11 than the U.S. did as Ahmadinejad suggested in 65th UN GA #ajstream

BronxKMC | USA: #AJStream imagine 3 trillion spent on our children's health, education, housing, food! IMAGINE!

avr247 | Lagos: @AJStream How do we separate political motives and terrorism?

TrueValueMetric | New York: #AJStream One of the biggest 'costs' in the US economy is profit! Defense contractors are obscenely profitable. Any observations?

MGHuff | NYC: I had rather blamed Wall Street and unscrupulous housing lenders for current economic mess. Is 9/11 real cause? @AJStream #AJStream

Thecitygirl86 | UK: Wahajat Ali on @AJStream, he's a lawyer and a playwright!

avr247 | Lagos: @AJStream Terrorism is like a season,in Nigeria we are feeling the heat. what's linda's view on the spread of terror to sub-Saharan africa.

Liberte_info | Paris.France.EU.World.*: The US wars cost billions to the American taxpayer, but what about the (US and foreign) lives lost, the orphans, widows, disabled? #AJStream

mhopp7 | Milwaukee, WI, USA: @AJStream @ASE is the extra expenditure justified to prevent the other costs of terror - trauma, loss. do our methods create new problems?

Alone2Alone | UK: #AJStream When the cost of war is discussed why is such prominence given to financial costs and less to the REAL cost in lives lost?

mhopp7 | Milwaukee, WI, USA: @AJStream @ASE estimates say we've spent more to stop terror attacks than we would have spent rebuilding.

SanaSaeed | in transit: To what extent do you believe that the Afghanistan and Iraq wars are responsible for the US' current 'economic malaise'? #ajstream

SanaSaeed | in transit: Will be part of the Google+ audience for @AJStream today, which will be discussing Post 9/11 US spending and economic consequences!

JalalAK_jojo | Palestine: The ridiculous one-hour time difference between Gaza and the West Bank, discussed on @AJStream http://t.co/kQFWrZq

sleeplessinva | Tehran, Iran: @ajstream Help evolve the #ajstream show! Should the show be longer? Send in your comments here! http://t.co/DK1pIpm @ashong @ASE

SaraaMughal | Planet Earth: Due 2 US's invasions following 9/11, many ppl in Muslim world, particularly in #Pakistan believe, US is waging a war against Islam #AJStream

jibriil | Borama, Somalia: @AJStream The 9/11 incident changed the world. If Al-qaeda killed 3000 Americans it caused what in Afghanistan and Iraq Jibril ,Somalia

WajahatAli | Bay Area, Ca: on #ajstream live in about 20 minutes. you can check it out on al jazeera english online. should be fun.

bhuwan44 | Surfers Paradise: @AJEnglish @ajstream It is very true that 9/11 has changed the face of US, completely.

SaraaMughal | Planet Earth: @AJStream What would have been the unemployment rate if Bush haven't gone to war?

ashong | Washington DC: Today on #AJStream we're talking about the economic legacy of 9/11. Did #OBL get what he wanted? Live in 5: http://t.co/9O9wcvV

mhopp7 | Milwaukee, WI, USA: @AJStream elements in my, the Jewish community have played a disproportionate role spreading #islamophobia. Why? Who benefits?

BronxKMC | USA: @SaraaMughal @AJStream & our education system much improved. no US schools & teachers being eliminated by states & local budgets

HamidElias | United States : #AJStream the 'so called' war on terror is just a distraction by gov to keep the #AmericanPeople buried in the hole that they always been in

MutaleNkonde | Brooklyn, New York: @ashong my office @johnliu did a report that said the New York Economy #loveNYC .. Plus we are less dependent on financial services

SanaSaeed | in transit: Wahajat Ali is on the @AJStream couch. Handsome Muslim male attorneys who are playrights are kinda rare. Just sayin.

SEP 08TOP STORY America’s costliest decade?

The hidden costs of America’s response to the 9/11 attacks may have cause a long-term economic stagnation.

One decade after the 9/11 attacks, Americans continue to pay for damages. The costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, hidden costs of intelligence wars reportedly underway in Pakistan and elsewhere, and the price of increased security within American borders have now far exceeded early predictions and continue to grow as global counterterrorism operations drag on.

Immediately following the attacks in 2001, President George W. Bush launched what was then called the “War on Terror”— an operation originally described as a quick and decisive removal of al-Qaeda from Afghanistan and, by extension, the threat of terrorism against the United States and its allies. The price of this war was initially projected at $60 billion.

As the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan got underway, costs began mounting and quickly exceeded the initially estimated timeframe and price. American forces remain in Afghanistan ten years after initial deployment, and the Obama administration has been behind schedule in following through on its promise to withdraw troops from the country.

Adding to U.S. expenses was the 2003 war in Iraq that was intended to remove former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and stabilise the region.

The total cost of both post-9/11 wars for the United States is estimated between $3-5 trillion.

In addition to wartime expenditures, returning troops are expecting benefits and support from the government. More than half of all returning soldiers are eligible for disability benefits or treatment, and more than 600,000 have been or are being treated in veterans’ facilities. Veterans in the post-9/11 decade have suffered from an increase in suicides and family breakups, suggesting a high social cost of the conflict.

The direct toll in human lives has been high as well. Some accounts estimate around 137,000 Iraqi civilians died in the conflict, and there are an estimated 1.8 million refugees in Iraq alone in addition to the 1.7 million who have been internally displaced.

In a recent article by economist Joseph Stiglitz, America’s current financial woes, including persistently high unemployment rates and a ballooning national budget deficit, are directly caused by post-9/11 conflicts. “Increased defence spending,” they write, “together with the Bush tax cuts, is a key reason why America went from a fiscal surplus of 2 per cent of GDP when Bush was elected to its parlous deficit and debt position today.”

On today’s episode of The Stream, Linda Blimes further discusses the hidden costs of the 9/11 attacks.

These are some of the social media elements featured in this episode of The Stream.

static5.businessinsider.com 1 day 5 hours ago Al Jazeera has created this interactive graphic illustrating the cost of 9/11 to America.

farm7.static.flickr.com 2 hours 56 min ago This graph published by freelance journalist Ben Schiller shows a spike in defense spending since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

theschiller.com 1 day 5 hours ago READ MORE FROM THIS STORY