May 3, 2011

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

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.

Wow.

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.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

payment methods

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.

Wow.

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.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate