17th Anniversary of US war in Afghanistan

[dado potato]

It has been 17 years since the United States committed forces, making it the longest war in US history. Financially this war has cost the USA about $1 trillion -- but who is counting? At $1 trillion it would be the second costliest war in American history, second only to World War II.

The original aims of the United States, following the Al-Qaeda inspired attacks on 9/11/2001, were to attack Al-Qaeda by removing the Taliban from power in Afghanistan.

The US was joined by NATO allies. To date, approximately 3,546 NATO soldiers have been KIA, including 2,350 US troops killed. Approximately 20,000 US forces have been injured in Afghanistan and returned to the US. Were the war to stop today, the cost of medical care to these injured Americans for the rest of their lives will be approximately $1 trillion. (Afghanistan Veterans in America consider veteran suicide to be their first priority.)

At present approximately 15,000 US troops are deployed. The Taliban continues to control 45% of Afghanistan territory.

Some may recall that Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to withdraw US forces completely from Afghanistan. In office, President Trump's policies have not differed appreciably from those of Presidents Obama and Bush.

Locally, I see there are efforts to send "care packages" to US forces in Afghanistan ("please no pork and no chocolate").

Unlike earlier wars, there has been no conscription: it's "all volunteer". There have been no specific tax increases, and no "Victory Bond" drives. So, I believe the average American is easily distracted from the costs of this war. Either you know someone who has been deployed, or you don't. Personally, FWIW, I went ahead and sent chocolate to a deployed son of a friend. Much to my relief he came home well, as far as I am aware. (But the harm can be insidious, I know.)

I must add that approximately 217,000 Afghans have died in the conflict since the US got involved. The Trump administration policy has been to increase the bombing.

Afghanistan is the country where empires go to die.

[Yppej]

My SIL has served in Afghanistan. She told me we decided gender equality was important so we should train Afghan women to be soldiers. This faced too much opposition locally so they were sent to Turkey. After this expensive training was completed there guess how many Afghan women decided to serve in Afghanistan?

[Lainey]

Thanks for the update, dado potato. This undeclared war is no longer even on the minds of many Americans.

Besides the tragedy of those killed, the hundreds of thousands whose young lives are forever changed by mental and physical injuries is unforgivable.
And for what? Do we in the U.S. feel safer now? Personally I think we've now embittered more Iraqis and Afghanis against the United States and therefore we've renewed the retaliation cycle. Meanwhile 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were Saudis, a country who we are still friendly with.
A sad waste of human lives and financial resources.

[nswef]

I agree Lainey.

[Williamsmith]

Saudis pay for it with petroleum dollar. We pay for it with our young volunteer military. But kids don’t want to die anymore for a lie. Ask a conservative and they will tell you the government lies to us all the time ....except they always tell us the truth about when we have to kill people and destroy nations.


https://youtu.be/extm3zrV0Ys

[Rogar]

Global evil does not seem limited to just ISIS. There are multiple examples of horrible genocide and humanitarian abuse around the world. If the issue is terrorism and the threat to the free world through terrorist attacks, I honestly don't know enough to say one way or another whether the presence of troops and their effects on containing ISIS is justified. On the other hand, I think we were totally mislead on the Iraq war that cost 5,000 American lives, not to mention the cost and the disabled wounded.

[Williamsmith]

Global evil does not seem limited to just ISIS. There are multiple examples of horrible genocide and humanitarian abuse around the world. If the issue is terrorism and the threat to the free world through terrorist attacks, I honestly don't know enough to say one way or another whether the presence of troops and their effects on containing ISIS is justified. On the other hand, I think we were totally mislead on the Iraq war that cost 5,000 American lives, not to mention the cost and the disabled wounded.

Vietnam. Enough said.

[dado potato]

I understand that US military involvement in Afghanistan is swiftly coming to an end.

... Oh hear my song, thou God of all nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine

-- Finlandia

[nswef]

War is a huge money maker for certain groups....no concern about the damage done to humans. All the money spent on weapons, weapon research if spent on peace missions, food, education, diplomacy....but NO- the politicians and corporations benefit the others can suffer. I never understood why the military spends weeks and months training people to kill and yet when their stint is over...NOTHING! It should be required for any one who served in the war zone to be kept for at least as long as they were trained in boot camp and get counseling, debriefing, support groups, discussion groups. It must be part of the program not just let them go and try to figure it out on their own with VA and whatever else could be available. Family counseling for as long as needed.