Obama to request $14.2 billion to train, equip Afghan forces-$6.6 billion already appropriated

[The Straight Story]

Obama to request $14.2 billion to train, equip Afghan forces
By Megan Scully CongressDaily January 22, 2010

President Obama is preparing to ask Congress for another $14.2 billion to grow, train and equip the Afghan National Security Forces for the remainder of this fiscal year and in fiscal 2011, according to a budget document obtained by CongressDaily.

The funding, outlined in a "pre-decisional" Pentagon budget document that still must receive the Office of Management and Budget's final approval, represents more than double the $6.6 billion already appropriated for fiscal 2010 for the Afghan army and police -- signifying the importance of training indigenous forces needed to permit an eventual U.S. military withdrawal.

According to the document, the Defense Department needs an additional $2.6 billion for the Afghan forces this year and $11.6 billion next year. The fiscal 2011 funding is needed to add 74,800 Afghan personnel beyond the current approved level of 230,800 and reach a force size of 305,600 by October 2011.


"This is the maximum growth rate that both ANSF and our U.S.-allied command can absorb," the document says. The funding, it says, is "essential to the president's new Afghanistan strategy and to ANSF's assumption of greater security responsibilities."

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0110/012210cdam1.htm?oref=todaysnews

[asjr]

1. On and on it goes, where it stops

nobody knows. Sounds a little like my PBS station. 11 months fund drive, 1 month programming.

[Bobbieo]

2. Train them for what????

[FarCenter]

3. We can't afford Afghanistan -- get out now

[tekisui]

4. More wasted money...more to come.

[Vinca]

5. Baloney. The money will end up with the bad guys. It always does over there.

How about we put the billions toward health care in America?

[stellad]

6. $14.2 billion can buy a lot of health care in the U.S.

[Bitwit1234]

7. Give us a little bit of that...to create jobs.

[City Lights]

8. No can do. We're broke. nt

[Individualist]

9. DLC loves the MIC.

[applegrove]

10. Too bad we were not focussed on growing the Afghan army back in the early 2000s when it made

sense and there were more supporters. Thanks Bush!

[fujiyama]

11. Woo Hoo!

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. Yeah and we need entitlement 'reform' of SS and Medicare so we can fund the Corporate Wars, Inc!

Thanks President HOPE AND CHANGE :puke:

[Johnny Harpo]

13. What Happend To All The Stuff We gave The Afghans To Fight Russia?

n/t

[amborin]

14. double digit US unemployment, and growing:

http://www.economytrack.org/mainchart.php