Speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Assistant Secretary of Defense Randall Schriver on Tuesday revealed that the Pentagon expects the cost of the Afghan War in 2018 to come to $45 billion.
This obviously is subject to change, in the face of more probable escalations. The cost includes $13 billion in direct cost for US troops already committed, $5 billion to prop up Afghanistan’s own struggling military, and other funding for logistics, aid projects, and other assorted expenses.
That’s a lot of money to throw at the war in its 16th year, and there is a lot of questioning of the merits among senators of both parties, concerned that yet another doubling down on a war long since lost may not be the most prudent of courses.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) expressed concern that there is no clear path to end the conflict, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said there was no military solution to be had, and billions to the Afghan military are particularly wasted since they still, 16 years in, are unable to defend themselves.
The war has been going poorly, by all accountings. This includes Pentagon metrics, though getting them to release such data is getting harder and harder, likely to keep Congress from drawing the conclusion many already have, that the money is a waste.
17 years into this and no end in sight much less a strategy that makes sense but spending $45 Billion ++ is reasonable to these folks?
I think a negotiated cease fire is needed and Trump can declare victory, maybe spend the $45 Billion sending American kids to college.
$15B for MOAB.
$5B to bribe puppet govt to let us use land as a platform to shatter their country into pieces.
Showing the world that there is a new sheriff in town? Priceless.
$15B for MOAB.
$5B to bribe puppet govt to let us use land as a platform to shatter their country into pieces.
Showing the world that there is a new sheriff in town? Priceless.
WHAT? We’re STILL in Afghanistan???
Out of those, they’ll “lose” at least 5B, and a good chunk of the rest has to finance corrupt Americans.
The way to insure that the Taliban never hurt another American is to stop sending Americans where they live.
But then, who would protect the pipeline?
$45 billion my a**. If they say it’s that number, at LEAST double it.
You can use the same Celsius to Fahrenheit short-cut conversion formula:
Double it and add 32 (billion).
Even if the lives and futures of Afghans are of no importance to the USA (after all, they are not Americans) the waste and the possible damage to USA’s interests and even lives of US troops should stop the continuation of this fruitless interference in the “graveyard of empires”.
Russia certainly got a good shellacking from the Taliban when they invaded Afghanistan. Even after all that killing of women and children, Russians retreated with their tail between their legs. They’re going to repeat that scenario in Ukraine soon.
military industrial complex – pentagon war contractors are going to make $45 billion dollars in new loan debt off of American taxpayers ..
*American taxpayers slapped with federal reserve loan debt at 51 % interest *
This is one of the worst financial scandals the USG has had in decades. Why should US taxpayers be slapped with a $45 billion “Fed Reserve” loan at a usurious rate of 51% for Pentagon war contractors to make this $45 billion? Let the Pentagon pay these contractors out of its own budget, instead of stealing from the taxpayers.
Better yet, get the hell out of Afghanistan altogether. No military power in Afghanistan’s lengthy history has ever been able to conquer it; namely, due to its extremely hostile terrain and the fierce warrior tribes who inhabited its caves. Georges Santayana’s quote’s just as relevant today as it was in previous decades.
“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
it is impossible to wake up the American people.
the Russel trust is an opium family trust
& uses your taxpayer funded military to protect their privately owned opium fields in Afghanistan
Its for the poppies.
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/dyinginafghanistan.php