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← Older posts Newer posts →How much will “victory” in Afghanistan cost?
October 30, 2012After eleven years, more than $570 billion, and no end in sight, it seems clear that the U.S. needs a new strategy for Afghanistan. But some are still arguing that we are winning the war in Afghanistan, and that all … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged COIN, corruption, debate, deficit reduction, drawdown, strategy, War costs | 1 CommentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: An Expensive, Ineffective Strategy
October 26, 2012The U.S. has almost met its target number for Afghanistan’s security forces. But the limited capabilities of the Afghan army and police have many wondering why the U.S. spent billions pursuing a “quantity over quality” strategy. Meanwhile, NATO allies are … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghanistan Weekly Reader, strategy, War costs | Leave a commentWar Costs Part 3: The Exploding Defense Budget
October 22, 2012Note: This is the third in a three-part series on the economic costs of the war in Afghanistan. Part one, $570 Billion and Counting, can be found here. Part two, The War That Won’t End, can be found here. An … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Congress, defense spending, deficit reduction, drawdown, strategy, War costs | 1 CommentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: Negotiating to Keep Troops in Afghanistan
October 19, 2012Negotiations to extend the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan will begin soon, according to a State Department official. The U.S. combat mission is scheduled to end in 2014, but some troops may stay for counterterrorism operations and train and advise … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghanistan Weekly Reader, drawdown, Public opinion, War costs, withdraw | Leave a commentWar Costs, Part 2: The War That Won’t End
October 19, 2012Note: This is the second in a three-part series on the economic costs of the war in Afghanistan. Part one can be found here. Part three is forthcoming. The War That Won’t End After eleven years of war in Afghanistan, … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Congress, defense spending, drawdown, economy, exit strategy, Public opinion, War costs | Leave a commentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: Contractor Fraud Puts U.S. Troops at Risk
October 12, 2012For the 68,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan today, the war is far from over. Yesterday the government watchdog that oversees reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan alerted U.S. commanders of “potentially significant contract fraud” in the installation of systems to prevent insurgent … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghanistan Weekly Reader, corruption, military contractors | Leave a commentWar Costs, Part One: $570 Billion and Counting
October 9, 2012Introduction The U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001. Today, 68,000 U.S. troops are still in Afghanistan. Eleven years of war have cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars. The exact amount is still unclear, and no one knows … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghan security forces, Congress, drawdown, strategy, War costs | Leave a commentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: NATO Considers a Faster Drawdown
October 5, 2012At the start of the U.S.-Afghanistan Bilateral Commission on Wednesday, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said that the transition to local security force in Afghanistan is on track. U.S. allies may not be so sure, however. The British ambassador to … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghanistan Weekly Reader, drawdown | Leave a commentHiding in the war budget: billions for weapons upgrades
October 2, 2012Sustaining combat operations in Afghanistan costs billions of dollars each year. The costs of other operations associated with warfighting have driven the war budget even higher. Take this small piece of the Afghanistan drawdown, for example. Over the next couple … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged defense spending, deficit reduction, drawdown, strategy, War costs | Leave a commentAfghanistan Weekly Reader: After the Surge, 68,000 U.S. Troops in Afghanistan
September 27, 2012The last of the U.S. troops sent to Afghanistan almost three years ago as part of the “surge” strategy left Afghanistan this week. With the surge troops gone, 68,000 U.S. troops are still stationed in Afghanistan. Also this week, NATO’s … Continue reading
Posted in Blog | Tagged Afghanistan Weekly Reader, drawdown, Surge | Leave a comment ← Older posts Newer posts →