Comments on: Looming Cost of US Operations in Afghanistan http://threetrilliondollarwar.org/2009/08/09/looming-cost-of-us-operations-in-afghanistan/ The True Cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:16:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Linda http://threetrilliondollarwar.org/2009/08/09/looming-cost-of-us-operations-in-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-788 Linda Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:57:50 +0000 http://threetrilliondollarwar.org/?p=152#comment-788 The security assessment being conducted by US General Stanley McCrystal, the top US commander in Afghanistan, is likely to produce recommendations that will significantly raise the cost of operations in that country. During the past 6 years, Afghanistan has been funded at a small fraction of the amount we have spent in Iraq, with the US spending $10billion per month in Iraq and $2 billion in Afghanistan in a typical month. However, it is likely that we will be encouraged to (a) increase US troop levels; (b) fund a significant increase in Afghan's own security forces; and (c) provide military aid to Afghanistan for many years to come. Michael O'Hanlon at Brookings said: "It's a reasonable guess that for 20 years, we essentially will have to fund half the Afghan budget. We are creating a [long-term military aid] situation similar to the ones we have with Israel, Egypt and Jordan". Read story in Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/08/AR2009080802283.html The security assessment being conducted by US General Stanley McCrystal, the top US commander in Afghanistan, is likely to produce recommendations that will significantly raise the cost of operations in that country.

During the past 6 years, Afghanistan has been funded at a small fraction of the amount we have spent in Iraq, with the US spending $10billion per month in Iraq and $2 billion in Afghanistan in a typical month. However, it is likely that we will be encouraged to (a) increase US troop levels; (b) fund a significant increase in Afghan’s own security forces; and (c) provide military aid to Afghanistan for many years to come.

Michael O’Hanlon at Brookings said: “It’s a reasonable guess that for 20 years, we essentially will have to fund half the Afghan budget. We are creating a [long-term military aid] situation similar to the ones we have with Israel, Egypt and Jordan”. Read story in Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/08/AR2009080802283.html

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