More or Less: Behind the Stats The Bill for Afghanistan
Sep 4, 2021
Dive into the staggering financial toll of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, with costs exceeding $2 trillion. Explore the implications of this spending on the national defense budget. Discover how nearly $1 trillion was spent during two decades of conflict, and examine the aftermath of leaving $85 billion in military equipment to the Taliban. Expert insights reveal the complexities in evaluating these expenditures and their long-term effects on public finances.
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True Cost of the War
- The $2 trillion figure cited by President Biden for the war in Afghanistan includes not only direct military spending but also veteran benefits and interest on borrowed funds.
- This total cost also incorporates increases in the base defense budget since 9/11, a point of contention among analysts.
Captured Equipment Value
- The $85 billion figure often quoted for captured US military equipment in Afghanistan actually represents the total amount spent on Afghan security forces since 2002.
- Much of this funding was used for salaries, fuel, and other consumables, not solely equipment.