The Bottomless Pit: America's Endless Spending In Afghanistan

The United States has spent trillions of dollars on the war in Afghanistan since invading the country in 2001. The Costs of War Project at Brown University estimates that the US has spent \$2.26 trillion in Afghanistan, with the biggest chunk of nearly $1 trillion going to the Overseas Contingency Operations budget for the Department of Defense. This amounts to \$300 million per day for 20 years, with significant costs still to come, including ongoing medical care for veterans. The war has also resulted in the deaths of thousands of US service members and civilians, as well as countless Afghans. The US government has faced criticism for its lack of transparency regarding the costs of the war and its unsuccessful nation-building efforts in Afghanistan.

The US spent over $2 trillion on the war in Afghanistan

The US has spent over $2 trillion on the war in Afghanistan since invading the country in 2001. This figure includes operations in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The war has cost the US approximately $300 million per day for 20 years.

The Costs of War Project at Brown University estimates the total spending at $2.26 trillion. This includes $800 billion in direct war-fighting costs and $85 billion to train the Afghan army. The US also spent $750 million a year on payroll for Afghan soldiers. The war has also resulted in the deaths of 2,500 US military personnel and nearly 4,000 US civilian contractors.

The US government has also spent billions of dollars a year on military aid to strengthen the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF). Between 2001 and 2020, the US disbursed $72.7 billion in military aid to Afghanistan, with 99.2% coming from the Department of Defense. This aid provided the ANDSF with equipment, supplies, services, training, funding for salaries, and infrastructure.

The war in Afghanistan has also resulted in significant borrowing and interest payments for the US government. Researchers estimate that more than $500 billion in interest has already been paid, and by 2050, the cost of interest alone could reach $6.5 trillion.

The total cost of the war in Afghanistan includes not only financial expenditures but also human lives and societal impacts. The Costs of War Project estimates that 243,000 people have died as a direct result of the war, with many more deaths caused by indirect consequences such as disease and loss of access to food and water. The war has also disrupted the lives of millions of Afghans, leading to a mass exodus from the country as people sought to flee Taliban rule.

Around $800 billion was spent on direct war-fighting costs

The US has spent approximately $800 billion on direct war-fighting costs in Afghanistan. This figure is part of the total estimated cost of the post-9/11 wars, which extend to Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia. The war in Afghanistan alone has cost the US over $2 trillion since 2001, including operations in Pakistan. The Department of Defense's Overseas Contingency Operations budget consumed the biggest chunk of this expenditure, with nearly $1 trillion going towards it.

The US spent approximately $849.7 billion in the 20-year war in Afghanistan and continues to spend money on reconstruction. This figure includes military spending and humanitarian aid. The US government disbursed nearly $73 billion in military aid to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2020, which was almost 20 times the amount of Afghanistan's own military expenditure.

The second-biggest expense was the estimated interest payments on the money borrowed by the US government to fund the war, totaling $530 billion. The US has also appropriated over $144 billion for Afghan reconstruction, with the most critical failure being the $88.3 billion spent on training and equipping the Afghan army, which ultimately collapsed in the face of the Taliban's advance.

The war-fighting costs in Afghanistan include the funding of salaries, equipment, supplies, services, training, and infrastructure repair, renovation, and construction for the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF). The US also supplied major arms to Afghanistan, with around $18.6 billion worth of military equipment disbursed to the ANDSF through the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASFF).

The total ongoing cost to the United States of the war in Afghanistan is more than $2 trillion, including operations in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. This figure does not include future obligations such as lifetime care for American veterans or interest payments on borrowed funds.

Around $88 billion was spent on training the Afghan army

Since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, the US has spent nearly $88 billion on training, equipping, and sustaining the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF). This amount includes funds for equipment, supplies, services, salaries, infrastructure, and more.

The majority of this military aid came from the Department of Defense (DOD) through the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASFF) and a separate Train and Equip Fund. The ASFF alone disbursed around $18.6 billion worth of military equipment to the ANDSF between 2005 and 2021.

The US also spent nearly $10 billion on vehicles and aircraft for the Afghan forces, including UH-60A transport helicopters. However, there were not enough trained personnel to operate and maintain these helicopters.

In addition to the equipment and vehicles, the US provided funding for salaries, with the US taxpayers giving Afghan soldiers $750 million a year in payroll.

Despite the significant investment in training and equipping the Afghan army, the force collapsed in the face of the Taliban's advance in 2021. This outcome has been attributed to various factors, including poor monitoring and evaluation of US efforts, overestimation of the capabilities of Afghan government forces, and a lack of oversight that allowed corruption to flourish.

The US government spent billions of dollars a year on military aid to strengthen the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces

The US government has spent billions of dollars a year on military aid to strengthen the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF). Between 2001 and 2020, the US disbursed $72.7 billion in current dollars ($81.6 billion in constant 2019 dollars) in military aid to Afghanistan. This aid was primarily provided by the Department of Defense (DoD) and included equipment, supplies, services, training, funding for salaries, and infrastructure support for the ANDSF.

The US military aid to Afghanistan was not consistent over the years and was influenced by various factors. From 2001 to 2005, the US spent less than $1 billion annually, but by 2008, annual aid had increased to $7.4 billion. This increase coincided with the US becoming a significant troop contributor in multilateral peace operations, indicating a greater involvement in Afghanistan. However, the global financial crisis led to a temporary decrease in aid, and by 2010, it had fallen to $5.2 billion.

US military aid to Afghanistan peaked at almost $9 billion per year in 2011 and again in 2013. This increase corresponded with a renewed commitment by the US and its NATO allies to bolster the ANDSF so that they could assume full responsibility for security across the country by the end of 2014. The US provided various types of major arms to Afghanistan as part of its military aid, with an estimated $18.6 billion worth of military equipment supplied to the ANDSF through the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASFF) between 2005 and 2021.

Despite the significant US military aid, Afghanistan's military spending was only a fraction of the total aid it received. Between 2004 and 2020, Afghanistan's military expenditure totaled $3.7 billion in current dollars, equivalent to only 4.6% of all US military aid. Even in 2020, when the US withdrawal was imminent, Afghanistan's military spending was only 18% of US military aid. This highlights the country's heavy reliance on US and foreign support.

The rapid collapse of the Afghan military following the US withdrawal raises questions about the effectiveness and management of the aid provided. While the US government disbursed billions of dollars in military aid, it took the Taliban just over four months to take control of Afghanistan after the announcement of NATO's withdrawal in April 2021. This outcome underscores the challenges and complexities of nation-building and the limitations of military aid in achieving long-term stability and security.

The US spent over $144 billion on Afghan reconstruction, including building security forces and improving governance

Since 2001, the US has spent over $144 billion on Afghan reconstruction, including building security forces and improving governance. The US has spent a total of $2.26 trillion in Afghanistan since 2001, with nearly $1 trillion going to the Department of Defense's Overseas Contingency Operations budget.

The US has spent $88.3 billion on training and equipping the Afghan army from May 2002 to March 2021. This was the most critical failure of the reconstruction efforts. The US also spent 530 billion on interest payments on the money borrowed to fund the war.

The US government has also spent billions of dollars on other reconstruction programs, including:

• Counternarcotics efforts: $10 billion
• Economic development: $24 billion
• Other reconstruction programs: $30 billion

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