New Afghan war plans could cost US taxpayers an extra $125 billion

[unhappycamper]

In this Sept. 29 photo, a girl walks past a US Marine, as he patrols through a field in Marjah, southern Afghanistan. As leaders at the NATO summit in Lisbon meet this weekend to discuss strategy in Afghanistan, President Obama pushes to soften troop withdrawal deadlines.


New Afghan war plans could cost US taxpayers an extra $125 billion
By Ben Arnoldy, Staff writer / November 19, 2010

New Delhi - As leaders at the NATO summit in Lisbon meet this weekend to discuss strategy in Afghanistan, US war planners have been signaling that troop withdrawals set to begin in 2011 will be mostly symbolic and that the handover to Afghan forces in 2014 is “aspirational.”

Such could cost American taxpayers handsomely at a time when deficit cutting has gripped Washington. According to one estimate, softening those deadlines could add at least $125 billion in war spending – not including long-term costs like debt servicing and health care for veterans.

“I don’t think anyone is seriously talking about cutting war funding as a way of handling the deficit,” says Todd Harrison, a defense funding expert at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. But higher war costs “could hurt the base defense budget the rest of the discretionary budget.”

Currently there are some 100,000 US troops in Afghanistan, which includes the 30,000 troop surge announced by President Obama in December 2009. At that time, the president also said the US would “begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011.”

Such was interpreted by many Americans and Afghans to be a significant withdrawal in 2011. In recent months, with the situation in Afghanistan showing few signs of stabilizing, US officials have focused more on 2014 as the date for withdrawal.

[Bigmack]

1. Ok...I'll start it off...

Why? Why is Afghanistan important enough to pour our blood and treasure into it... for these many years?

That's not a rhetorical question.

What is that important about that shithole?

And please.. none of that "White Man's Burden" thing about bringing the locals into the light of our wonderful Civilization.

[G_j]

2. $$$ for the MIC n/t

[azul]

6. Just guessing here:

Revenge of the KGB and Russia for the CIA's meddling in Soviet Afghanistan? Bankruptcy, for necessitating shock treatments.

[BlueIris]

12. We've parked it in Afghanistan because the CIA wants it that way.

Did you ever see the Frontline documentary about this? An asshole from the Agency described the Afghanistan invasion as "the finest moment in the history of CIA." Seriously. They think of this as a strategically critical locale and "we" must be there to keep the terrahrists in line.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. $125bn worth of face-saving for the politicians and generals in a lost war.

Swaggering around money for nincompoops, incompetents, and failures.

[Autumn]

4. It's only money. What's 125 Billion between friends?

Of course I notice nothing is said about the lives that are lost and ruined. 2014 huh? A fucking carrot, whats next 2016, 2018? I don't trust this administration on the war any more that I did the last one.

[LeFleur1]

5. I heard once about an oil pipeline.

Every dollar spent there makes me detest the war policies of Bush and Obama even more.

[rug]

7. That's ten times the cost of the unemployment extension that was just blocked.

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. What a waste.

:puke:

[soryang]

9. There is absolutely no limit; DOD is out of control

Obama couldn't even appoint his own SecDef. What happened to the 2 Trillion in missing DOD funds reported the week before 911?

This is not a free constitutionally governed country, it is an empire, governed by crooked bankers and defense contractors.

[azul]

10. Smile when you say that,

pardner.

[felix_numinous]

11. I don't think anyone knows how to stop

the MIC.

[G_j]

13. k

[PufPuf23]

14. The general strategy is an arc of USA / NATO control

from Georgia across the Caspian Sea to Pakistan.

There will be oil and natural gas line and other trade routes but also divides our rivals and regional rivals (China, Russia, Iran, and India)by a zone of USA influence. The same pattern is being played in Africa, Latin America, and the near east.

Recall that a $511 million embassy was recently announced for Afghanistan. We will have permanant bases just like Iraq if Empire has the last call.

[AsahinaKimi]

15. Damn at this rate...

That little girl in the photo will be grown up by the time the Troops leave.