WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States expects to spend about $6 billion a year training and supporting Afghan troops and police after it begins pulling out its own combat troops in 2011, The Associated Press has learned.
The previously undisclosed estimates of U.S. spending through 2015, detailed in a NATO training mission document, are an acknowledgment that Afghanistan will remain largely dependent on the United States for its security.
That reality could become problematic for the Obama administration as it continues to seek money for Afghanistan from Congress at a time of increasingly tight budgets.
In Brussels, a NATO official said Monday that alliance commander Gen. David Petraeus asked for 2,000 more soldiers, with nearly half to be trainers for the rapidly expanding Afghan security forces.
The NATO official requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the subject.
The training mission document, reviewed by the AP, outlines large scale infrastructure projects including a military hospital and military and police academies aimed at “establishing enduring institutions” and “creating irreversible momentum.”
Spending for training is projected to taper off from $11.6 billion next year to an average of $6.2 billion over the following four years. Much of the reduction reflects reduced spending on infrastructure.
The administration recently announced that it intends to ramp up the total Afghan army and police force from nearly 250,000 today to more than 300,000 by late next year. The mission will be largely paid for by the United States, with smaller contributions from NATO allies. The projected multibillion dollar cost of maintaining those forces would be inconceivable for Afghanistan’s small economy without foreign aid.
One of the arguments against dramatically increasing the size of Afghan security forces, even during George W. Bush’s administration, was that the Afghan government would be unable to pay for them for the foreseeable future. The NATO document shows that the U.S. will end up footing most of the bill.
The Obama administration has boosted the training mission in preparation for next year’s drawdown. The United States spent over $20 billion on training between 2003 and 2009 and expects to spend about the same this year and next alone.
The head of the NATO training mission, U.S. Lt. Gen. Bill Caldwell, says bolstering Afghanistan’s security forces is cost efficient.
“It will always be more expensive to have a coalition force doing something than an Afghan counterpart,” Caldwell said in a written response to questions from AP.
Caldwell said that he is sensitive to the concern that the United States is creating dependence and is looking for ways of cutting costs.
“This dependency is something that we think about all the time,” he said. “We know the sooner the Afghan systems are up and running the sooner coalition forces can transition responsibilities to the sovereign government.”
Todd Harrison, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, says it will be difficult to wean the Afghan security forces quickly.
“We really do have a long way to go before this winds down,” he said.
Caldwell has said that he aims to have Afghan security forces at sufficient numbers to begin a U.S. withdrawal by October 2011. The mission has had to deal with illiteracy, corruption and desertion among Afghan forces.
With much skepticism in Congress, the levels of financing outlined in the document are not guaranteed. While the roughly $6 billion annual cost would not be an enormous line in the defense budget, the administration is facing pressure to shrink the federal deficit.
Even Caldwell has predicted that desertion and injury rates are so high among Afghan forces that NATO will have to recruit and train 141,000 people to ensure it has the 56,000 additional personnel needed next fall.
As money for infrastructure tapers off, most of the projected spending is to retain forces by paying salaries, food and housing.
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DE OPPRESSO LIBER
Posted on September 7, 2010 at 5:36pmGoverment contracts!
Report Post »Oath2Honor
Posted on September 7, 2010 at 5:22amI never have understood why the United States of America spends money on an effort that does not actually give any of the people in Afghanistan, Iraq etc ‘real freedom’. The only way they would have true freedom is to be under our banner completely and under our laws. Of course, in order to make it successful we would truly need to remove our own corruption that exists in our own country first. I do not see how Divine Providence in the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution or the Bill of Rights ever included the practice of Socialism, Marxism, and Fascism. Nor did I ever read of any such push to implement any of these types of governance or statutes by our forefathers when our country was established. The only words that they did speak, were words of ‘warning’ against the implementation of any such devices of leadership and how it would surely lead to the disintegration and downfall of our society. I do believe it is evident that we should step back and take a look at who is leading us down this path, how we got here and why? Is it possible that we have been misled? I do know that our government has been charged with the responsibility to Protect ‘Us the People’ against all threats foreign and domestic. Right now, our biggest threat happens to be staring us right in the face, on our very own soil. I see the situation that we are facing to be internal and within our own borders and a serious threat to our own national security. The future of our country and our freedom depends on our ability to pay attention and ‘wake up’ before it is too late. Liberty stands right there and her torch is dying every day…chains are around her feet. The basic Principals of Liberty, Common Sense and Wisdom are so far behind us we have amnesia. Divine Providence is no longer respected, not even respect for the dead or what they have sacrificed for ‘Us the People’ exists anymore. Our focus on electing Honorable People to hold the positions of Power in our Government in order to avoid such foolishness and confusion (that we are in involved in at this time), is Lost. So many are Lost and Blind, it is only Darkness that lies before us. Unless we should remember to turn on the light before it is too late, pay attention and see where it is we are going, ‘We the People’ shall stumble and fall. Our only hope is God. God only knows what decisions we should be making at this time in order to restore an Honorable Country and an Honorable People. I do know that if we do not clean house soon, God will do it for us and there will be suffering involved along the way. God always wins, no matter what anyone wants to believe. History is a teacher and if we do not learn anything from it, we shall surely be put through more trials and difficulties until we do. Anyone who does not choose to see that Evil does exist, especially when it is staring you right in the face every single day, shall surely perish by it’s hands. Deception is most likely achieved through a means of being ‘wholly seduced’ through a presentation of enticing, promising, intriguing, fascinating options being introduced to the mind, body and spirit. Each ‘individual’ is responsible for their ‘own decisions in life’ and no one else is held accountable for them. If anyone thinks that we can save others through an effort of ‘Collective Redemption’ they shall surely find, that in the end, they were only deceiving themselves. Even as much as the possibility of someone considering the idea that they can ‘control other people’, or ‘another person’; this may only be undertaken as long as the ‘other’ is wholly seduced by their charm or initial euphoria. Should that person become enlightened to their scheme, they have now become awakened from the insanity. Only an Honorable effort can be undertaken in a task through Honorable individuals who understand the reasoning of Divine Providence and accomplish it in an Honorable Way. Any other way may prove to be a path of death, destruction, confusion and insanity. If any choose to follow this type of path, “Have Fun With That”!
Report Post »LesterWillox
Posted on September 7, 2010 at 11:46amI’m very sorry, sir, but you just used a LOT of words saying, in effect, nothing at all.
You don’t call any problems by name (who is this “threat on our own soil”? The government? The president? The military? The people? The whites? The blacks? The muslims? Me? You? Who is this “evil staring us in the face?”) and the only solution you’re offering is to bring God back into our lives (whatever that means. Pray more? Go to church every sunday? Give to the poor? Sit back and wait for God to sort it out? Prevent sex before marriage?)
Could you please be a little more to the point? What specifically do you think should be changed to solve our problems? I know of enough politicians who can speak for ten minutes and say nothing at all. Which is, in my opinion, at least one of the things that brought our trouble upon us. And what we’re looking for here are solutions, not a verbose speech.
Report Post »drconstitutionalconservative
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 9:10pmIf we leave, AlQueda, Talaban, HAMAS, Iran WILL take those places back over, and things will be a lot worse than they are now.
Report Post »smartypoop
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 10:12pmIt doesnt matter if we leave today or in a 100 years, they will still take over the second that were gone, unless we wipeout the entire middle east, it is destined to happen! I dont support that, I do support not spending money we dont have, on a war we cant win, to fight something that we cannot change. Clinton blew it. We should have killed him when we had the chance. Before he became the dragon that cant be slain! JMO
Report Post »captainron
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 8:55pmGermany, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan. We put the most highly trained, most motivated(by liberty) force where there are threats to liberty……and we will continue to do so.
Report Post »Statesman
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 8:12pmSkandelon27 is correct almost all of the reports before the invasion of Iraq were do to faulty information on W.M.Ds. that were not there. Sadaam promoted that HOAX because it was a way to avoid another war with Iran in his mind. He didn’t for a minute think it would result as it did.
Afghanistan’s people are separated by Tribe and Religious Sects if you consider Islam a Religion. I see it as a CULT as defined by it‘s calling for the death of anyone who refuses to convert and it subjugates women and those who follow Sharia Law are as RADICAL as Hitler’s Germany.
Report Post »GlennBeckIsADemagogue
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 7:25pmThe government of Afghanistan is so unbelievably corrupt, I am in favor of the U.S. just packing up its bags and going home. When the director of the CIA says there are 50 or less Al Quaeda in the country, one has to wonder why we are still there. Then the argument turns towards the Taliban. It just goes on and on and on.
Report Post »If the $2 billion training works, consider how much george w spent in iraq by comparison. the estimates are all over the place, but definitely in the hundreds of billions for direct costs alone. Where was the right when GWB spent your children’s inheritance in iraq?
orkydorky
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 4:36amPlease, don’t bother with facts, I knew it your dinkybags brother aren’t you?
Report Post »Debrabate
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 6:25pmI am sticking by my theory… drop a couple nukes and solve the problem… it is a lot cheaper too.
Report Post »dlloftin
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 7:07pmI was once told that because of the mountain region afghanistan is in and the altitude that its at nuclear fallout would be contained to that country. Wonder if that’s true.
Report Post »smartypoop
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 5:55pmHey, no problem right?! Didn’t they grow a money tree at the White House?
Report Post »Bring home the troops, secure the boarders, and close the immigration loopholes. Problem solved!
Rock Knutne ND
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 5:50pmHey guys and gals…
It’s pretty simple. The best way to answer the un-named numbskull writing in these blogs is to simply and always ignore his/her rhetoric. Just like Glenn Beck says. Don’t engage.
Engage the storyline and stick to the truth.
Report Post »eddvoss
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 5:26pmRemember that our combat troops were out of Vietnam in 73, the ARVNs lasted till we quit funding them and they fell not to the VC but to NV Army regulars in 75. Are we going to pull the rug out from under the Afghans the same way that we did with the Vietnamese?
Report Post »dlloftin
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 7:05pmmost likely
Report Post »LesterWillox
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 7:30pmI’d bet on us still being there in 70 years, like Germany.
Report Post »dlloftin
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 9:25pmnope, just gonna create another terrorist organization. history repeats itself here.
Report Post »missmarie
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 9:27pmI have a dear friend serving in Kosovo – why don’t we hear about that one? Oh, yeah – liberal press, silly me!
Report Post »danglingbags
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 5:01pmHow can you people be so gullible as to be believe Glenn Beck cares about your cause? He justs want to pick your pockets and sell you gold. Remember…God is good, gold is better…buy gold!
Besides, most of you are evangelical christians.. This guy is a Moron heretic in your eyes.
Glenn Beck believes the Jesus arrived in North America a few hundered years ago to talk to the native americans. BECK BELIEVES IN A TWISTED FORM OF JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE IS NOT ONE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormons) teaches that upon death, the spirits of the righteous go to a Spirit Paradise, while the spirits of the unrepentant go to a Spirit Prison. Those in Paradise are to follow Christ’s example of preaching the Gospel to the those in Prison (1 Peter 3:18-20).[12] The living perform work in LDS Temples, providing vicarious ordinances for those in Spirit Prison, such as baptism (see 1 Corinthians 15:29),[13] that can only be administered in the flesh (1 Peter 4:6).[14] This allows the spirits in Spirit Prison to choose to accept or not accept the ordinance work. The Book of Mormon describes both Spirit Paradise and Spirit Prison as temporary states, preceding Resurrection and Final Judgement.[15] When the time of the literal Resurrection arrives, the spirits of everyone who has ever lived are reunited with their perfected physical bodies. The degree of righteousness or unrighteousness in which a person had lived his or her life (as well as the ordinances they have received) determines the resurrection state (level of glory) their body receives, whether that be the Glory of the Sun (Celestial Body), the Glory of the Moon (Terrestrial Body), or Glory of the Stars (Telestial Body) (1 Corinthians 15:39-42).[16] A person’s degree of righteousness also determines which Kingdom of Glory (Celestial, Terrestrial, or Telestial Kingdoms) they will attain after the Final Judgement.[17] The teaching (see I Corinthians 15, Doctrine & Covenenants 76) further is that there are also different times of resurrection, the righteous resurrecting first, and the wicked at the end of the Millennium.
Report Post »Skandelon27
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 5:23pmIsn’t your copy/paste button getting worn out?
You still think this is about Glenn don’t you? So naive.
Report Post »1st a Father
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 5:49pmIts OK, as long as people like Dingleberrys think its all about Glenn, we have the upper hand. Shh, don’t tell him.
He thinks he is so superior to the rest of us. Let’s be nice and let him continue in his self-delusion. He won’t know what happened when it all falls apart on him. When we are all on God’s side, we can’t loose.
Report Post »lorri_cotton
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 9:02pmDarlingbags, we could care less if Glenn Beck were a bat-crap spouting cannibal. His religion is sort of secondary at this point. Hellloooo…… do you smell smoke? Oh, I see that crack-pipe sweetheart. I’ll leave you be.
Report Post »missmarie
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 9:25pmHello, earth to Danglebrain…the topic is the war in Afghanistan – can’t you stay on task, sweetie?
Report Post »Resolved
Posted on September 7, 2010 at 5:38pmI‘ve decided I’m going to check Glenn’s site more just to piss Danglingbags off, because it brings me great pleasure to see him/her/it rant. And not that I mind Danglingbags advertising for my church and all, but anyone that wants to know about the LDS church should probably just ask one of us. But I can’t turn down free advertising, lol.
Report Post »danglingbags
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 4:57pmJUST THINK IF GEORGE W BUSH WOULD NOT OF SENT US TO AN UNJUST WAS IN IRAQ AND LET BIN LADEN GO AT TORA BORA, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LONG GONE OUT OF AFGHANISTAN. THE TRAGIC LEGACY OF GEORGE W BUSH LIVES ON….
Report Post »Skandelon27
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 5:25pmA war that most everyone in both the democratic and republican party voted to support because of the continued violation of Sadam at that time, but don’t get bogged down with the details.
Report Post »rush
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 6:37pmThat’s because both parties are stupid and only worry about their seats and their stupid polling numbers.
They were courageous congressmen, some even against the war in afghanistan, but too few sadly.
Where is that initiative for limiting congress terms? that’s what we need now. That and take money out of politics with public campaign financing.
How I miss the old Maccain…
Report Post »dlloftin
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 7:10pm@Rush Are you saying that making it illegal for lobbyist to give “donations” to government officials to help end corruption would be beneficial?
Report Post »missmarie
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 9:23pmHey Da, just a thought, but have you ever thought of getting professional help for your anger management issues?
Report Post »Flagwaver
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 9:44pmJust think, if Clinton had the danglingbags to give the fire order, then September 11th wouldn’t have happened in the first place.
Report Post »warriorcop
Posted on September 7, 2010 at 12:05pmDanglinDingleBerries: You do know that smoking crack is against the law right? I mean if you are using that to help with your anger issues, it is clearly not working
Report Post »orkydorky
Posted on September 12, 2010 at 4:23amIf people like you would leave the war to the military, we’d have been done and back home long ago. So dinkybags & things shut up and learn something.
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