War and Defense
How defense spending, contracting and secrecy are structured, what officials said in private about wars they defended in public, and who is paid while the wars continue.
- 01
The Permanent War Economy
How defense contracts are priced, what contractors earn, and how the structure rewards continued spending.
- 02
What Was Said in Private
Where the declassified records of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan differ from what officials told the public at the time.
- 03
The Audit
What the Department of Defense has been able to account for, what it has not, and what Congress has done about it.
- 04
The Revolving Door
How senior officers and officials move between the Pentagon, Congress and the companies that supply it.
- 05
The Cost Kept Off the Books
What service members, veterans and civilians bear that the defense budget does not count.
- 06
Covert Action and Accountability
What the congressional and independent investigations of covert action show about what was known, what was hidden and what followed.
Mechanisms documented in this report
The revolving door
9 findingsThe study not run
16 findingsThe filtered record
6 findingsKnown inside, disclosed late
7 findingsManaging the narrative
2 findings
Further reading
The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War
16 claims checked:5 supported · 10 partly supported · 0 contradicted · 1 not in the record
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA
14 claims checked:6 supported · 6 partly supported · 2 contradicted · 0 not in the record
Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon's Hidden Hand
10 claims checked:3 supported · 6 partly supported · 0 contradicted · 1 not in the record