Afghanistan Weekly Reader: $580 Billion and Counting
The U.S. elections came and went with little mention of the war in Afghanistan. The status quo is unchanged. Violence and instability continue, as do questions about the capability of the Afghan security forces. 68,000 U.S. troops are still in Afghanistan; thousands of trainers and special operations forces may remain after 2014. And war costs, which exceeded $580 billion, continue to add up.
From ASG
11/6/12
Afghanistan War More Expensive Than The Top Ten Costliest Storms
Afghanistan Study Group by Mary Kaszynski
The economic damage cause by Sandy is estimated at $30 billion to $50 billion, a staggering amount on its own, but tiny compared to the amounts the U.S. has spent on the war in Afghanistan.
ARTICLES
11/4/12
As NATO Nears Exit, Construction Dries Up
New York Times by Rod Norland and Sangar Rahimi
Jalalabad Road, the heart of what might be called the Afghan capital’s military-industrial complex, has also become the place where heavy construction equipment comes to die.
11/7/12
War-weary Afghans shrug off Obama re-election
AFP by Lawrence Bartlett
Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday congratulated US President Barack Obama on his re-election, but many in the war-weary nation shrugged off the news as foreign forces prepare to withdraw.
OPINION
11/5/12
Afghanistan’s Karzai back to antagonizing the US and attacking free speech
Christian Science Monitor by Dan Murphy
The so-called “fighting season” is over and an Afghan leader’s fancy can turn to antagonizing his American patrons for amusement over the cold winter months.
11/4/12
The Permanent Militarization of America
New York Times by Aaron B. O’Connell
Were Eisenhower alive, he’d be aghast at our debt, deficits and still expanding military-industrial complex.
