Surge In Afghanistan? Send in the Checkbook!

Reuters takes a look at the costs of the Afghan war to U.S. taxpayers.

COSTS SO FAR

Congress has approved $345 billion so far for the war in Afghanistan, where the United States invaded to fight al Qaeda and topple the Taliban after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. This figure is from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which says that about $22 billion has gone for Afghan-war-related activities in other countries.

COMPARISON WITH IRAQ

About twice as much money -- $708 billion -- has gone to the war in Iraq so far, CBO says.

But Afghanistan is becoming the more expensive battleground, as the pace of U.S. military operations slows in Iraq and quickens in Afghanistan.

The current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, is the first year that more money has been allocated to Afghanistan ($72.3 billion) than Iraq ($64.5 billion), according to the National Priorities Project, a nonpartisan budget research group that examines congressional appropriations. It has a running tally of the wars' costs on its website.

MONEY FOR AFGHANISTAN'S MILITARY AND POLICE FORCES

Included in the money spent on Afghanistan so far is more than $25 billion for training and equipping the Afghan National Security Forces -- the army and police, according to the Special Instructor General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Obama wants another $14.2 billion for this purpose for the rest of this year and next; the idea is to leave behind security forces that can take on the responsibility of fighting the Taliban as U.S. forces start to leave.

Much more at the link...

By: Brant