Inspector General: US Funded $132 Billion in Afghanistan Development Since 2002

The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has put out a new report estimating how much the US has spent on Afghanistan economic development since 2002, estimating it at $132 billion.

The $132 billion included $82.5 billion for security, $34.5 billion for government, and other assorted money for humanitarian aid and civilian operations. SIGAR added that another $5.2 billion would be required if a political settlement was reached.

18 years into the US war in Afghanistan, a settlement was to be had just weeks ago, only for President Trump to scrap the deal and announce that the war would continue. Though this saves the $5.2 billion in the near-term, it’s going to add to general annual costs indefinitely as the war shows no sign of ending any other way.

And even whn it ultimately ends, the US is still presumably going to consider itself on the hook for funding the settlement, so that’s just an expense deferred until later in the seemingly endless war.