united states is undeniable. thousands of lives have been lost and ruined. the cost of the war in iraq is estimated at $2 trillion to $4 trillion. the $2 trillion number is the cost already incurred. the $4 trillion number includes the cost of supporting the one million soldiers that fought in the war plus their care, including the 32,000 casualties and 4,000 dead troops. president george w. bush did not have the foresight to see how long the war would last or to even realize it would have cost half the lives. trillions of dollars are being thrown away to a war the u.s. could have avoided being a part of. the tragic part is this money could have been used to help thousands of americans living in poverty right here on u.s. soil. right now, president obama is visiting one of the most destitute areas of the united states of america, a place where like iraq, people are fighting for their own survival every day, homelessness, limited access to education, drug and alcohol abuse and violence are some of the challenges the sioux people face.