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← Older posts Newer posts →Congress Continues to Ignore Public Opinion on Afghanistan
May 15, 2012Every recent opinion poll confirms declining public support for the war. A March Washington Post poll finds that 60% of respondents believe the war has not been worth the costs. 72% say they oppose the war and 77% want to … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghan security forces, Afghanistan government, Public opinion, strategy, War costs | Leave a commentTime for a New Strategy in Afghanistan
May 11, 2012Pentagon officials and pundits enjoy telling us that if we stay the course we can still win the war in Afghanistan. This argument directly contradicts the facts. Ten years and over $500 billion later, the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan isn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghanistan government, defense spending, drawdown, security, strategy, War costs, withdraw | Leave a commentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: $80 Million Wasted on Poorly Planned Project
May 10, 2012This week The Washington Post reported on another multi-million dollar boondoggle in U.S. aid to Afghanistan. The $80 million project, envisioned as the center of U.S. diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan, was cancelled due to significant security concerns that had been … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghan security forces, Afghanistan Weekly Reader, aid, defense spending, drawdown, War costs | Leave a commentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: Agreement Allows 10-Year Extension of US Presence in Afghanistan
May 4, 2012President Obama made headlines this week with a surprise trip to Kabul to sign the US-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement. The agreement made explicit what has been understood all along: the US commitment to Afghanistan will continue after 2014. What the agreement fails … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghan security forces, Afghanistan Weekly Reader, nation building, strategy, War costs, withdraw | Leave a commentUSAID spent $400 million in Afghanistan “despite uncertain results”
April 30, 2012The title of this audit report, the latest from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, says it all: USAID spent almost $400 million on an Afghanistan reconstruction project despite uncertain results. The Local Governance and Community Development program, first … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghanistan government, aid, defense spending, War costs | 2 CommentsAfghanistan Weekly Reader: Afghanistan Price Tag for U.S.: Over $550 Billion Since 2001
April 27, 2012Policymakers are in the middle of intense debates over next year’s budget. Topics of contention include $100 million for a missile defense system on the East coast and $6 billion to avoid a hike in student loan interest rates. However, … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghanistan Weekly Reader, defense spending, exit strategy, War costs, withdraw | Leave a commentHow much will the strategic pact cost US taxpayers?
April 23, 2012The US and Afghanistan have completed an outline of the US commitment to Afghanistan for the next ten years, the New York Times reports. The specifics haven’t been worked out yet, but if we continue down the same path, the … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghan security forces, Afghanistan government, drawdown, exit strategy, War costs, withdraw | Leave a commentKarzai Demands $2 Billion More Per Year From Americans for Afghanistan Security
April 19, 2012The US combat role in Afghanistan will end in 2014, but it seems as if the US commitment to Afghanistan will go on. We’re starting to get some idea of how expensive that commitment will be. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is asking … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghan security forces, Afghanistan Weekly Reader, strategy, War costs, withdraw | Leave a commentMajority of Americans Believe the War Is Not Worth the Costs
April 17, 2012The Taliban launched a series of attacks yesterday on embassies and the Afghan Parliament in Kabul. The offensive is reportedly “among the most audacious coordinated terrorist attacks here in recent years,” yet US officials say they are determined to stay … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghanistan government, defense spending, drawdown, polls, strategy, War costs, withdraw | Leave a commentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: Over $4 Billion per Year for the Afghan Security Forces
April 12, 2012The recent spate of violence in Afghanistan – two NATO servicemembers died just yesterday in two bomb explosions and an insurgent attack – have everyone wondering if the Afghan security forces are up to the task ahead. Just a few … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghanistan Weekly Reader, drawdown, strategy, timetable, War costs, withdraw | Leave a comment ← Older posts Newer posts →