The Hunt for Bin Laden, in Numbers

A few statistics from what was arguably the most expensive manhunt in history.

Time Osama Bin Laden spent on the fbi’s Most Wanted list:
155 months
State Department reward for information leading to Bin Laden’s capture:
$25 million
Estimated amount Al Qaeda spent on the September 11 attacks:
$400,000 to $500,000
Death toll on 9/11:
3,389
Economic impact of attacks on New York City:
At least $82.8 billion
Cost of US military operations in Afghanistan, 2010:
$93.8 billion
Cost of US military operations in Afghanistan, 2001-2010:
$325 billion
Years since 2001 in which US military spending
in Afghanistan exceeded military spending in Iraq:
2001, 2010
Estimated cost of US operations in Afghanistan in 2011, per soldier:
$694,000
Number of US soldiers killed in action by hostile forces
in Afghanistan, 2001-2010:
1,045
Number of US soldiers wounded in action
in Afghanistan, 2001-2010:
9,614
Number of civilians killed in Afghanistan, 2007-2010:
9,759
Number of reported US drone strikes
in Afghanistan and Pakistan, 2004-2011:
236
Number of drone attacks on Al Qaeda, 2004-2011:
33
Minimum share of drone casualties who were civilians, 2004-2010:
16%
“Core” Al Qaeda members in Pakistan today:
100 to 150
US aid to Pakistan, 2001-2010:
$20 billion
Distance from Bin Laden’s final compound to
military academy known as “Pakistan’s West Point”:
3/4 mile
Cost of Black Hawk helicopter destroyed during raid:
$27.5 million
Number of American commandos involved in raid on compound:
79
Number of dogs:
1

Sources:

Most Wanted List: FBI

Reward: State Department

Cost of 9/11 attacks: 9/11 Commission (PDF)

9/11 death toll: The New York Times. Does not include hijackers.

Economic impact of 9/11: New York City Comptroller (PDF)

Costs of military operations: Congressional Research Service (PDF)

US casualties: Department of Defense

Civilian casualties: United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (PDF)

Drone attacks: “The Year of the Drone,” by Peter Bergen and Katherine Tiedemann, New America Foundation

Al Qaeda members: “The Almanac of Al Qaeda,” by Peter Bergen and Katherine Tiedemann, New America Foundation

Aid to Pakistan: Congressional Research Service (PDF)

Bin Laden compound: Christian Science Monitor, Google Maps

Helicopter cost: Department of Defense 

Commandos and dogs: New York Times

 

Front page photo: caffeina/Flickr

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

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And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

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