Killing each Taliban costs $50 Million.

[ghulam muhammed]

Killing each Taliban soldier costs $50 Million

"Killing 20 Taliban costs $1 Billion / Killing all the Taliban would cost $1.7 Trillion"

The Pentagon will not tell the public what it costs to locate, target and kill a single Taliban soldier because the price-tag is so scandalously high that it makes the Taliban appear to be Super-Soldiers. As set out in this article, the estimated cost to kill each Taliban is as high as $100 million, with a conservative estimate being $50 million. A public discussion should be taking place in the United States regarding whether the Taliban have become too expensive an enemy to defeat.

1. Taliban Field Strength: 35,000 troops

2. Taliban Killed Per Year by Coalition forces: 2,000 (best available information)

3. Pentagon Direct Costs for Afghan War for 2010: $100 billion

4. Pentagon Indirect Costs for Afghan War for 2010: $100 billion

Taliban Field Strength:

The figure of 35,000 is based on an interview given by General Stanley McChrystal earlier this year


http://www.a-w-i-p.com/index.php/2010/1 ... osts-50-mi

[anajmi]

Actually, with every Taliban killed, you get a few innocents killed for free. So the overall cost does come down.

[jawanmardan]

It costs the US $1 million per soldior per year. After the withdrawal it will cost $20 billion a year to maintain the Afghan military, which while a large sum is significantly less than the current cost. The quality of the training of Afghan troops has significantly improved with the new US command. The key is a political solution which involves more moderate elements of the Taliban getting involved in the government, and ending the corruption that Karzai has presided over, not to mention limiting Iran and Pakistans ISI undermining the fledgling state with their constant interference.

Life has improved for the majority of Afghans since 2001, however there is still an awfully long way to go, security remains the greatest impediment to development.

[seeker110]

You wouldnt think they will demand repatriation costs would they. Figures are extremely cooked

[jawanmardan]

You wouldnt think they will demand repatriation costs would they. Figures are extremely cooked

Repatriation costs? I'm on my phone so I must have missed that. I do think the article has some suspiciously odd ideas. I would also question the premise that ISAF is solely there to kill Taliban; rather also to provide security, and thus aid development in cities, and to train and rebuild a domestic military.

[anajmi]

rather also to provide security, and thus aid development in cities, and to train and rebuild a domestic military.

Seriously?

[jawanmardan]

rather also to provide security, and thus aid development in cities, and to train and rebuild a domestic military.

Seriously?

Absolutely. The Taliban realise that a lot of political capital has been expended by the west, and withdrawal is imminent (much of this due to the idiotic invasion of Iraq). Their strategy is straight out of the Tony Soprano playbook: namely to intimidate villages, and prevent infrastructure projects, and any form of economic development. An impoverished, uneducated, and fearful populous is after all easier to control.

[anajmi]

jawanmardan,

These were the goals of the americans a couple of decades ago when they were on the same side as the Taliban driving out the Russians. But we all know what happened. Americans do not go into any territory to spread freedom and democracry. They are there to serve their own interests. Free and democratic people do not serve America's interests. There are countless examples of this in the last hundred years.

Americans have been in Afghanistan for close to 10 years now, with numbers that are triple the estimated Taliban or even more, and the Taliban and still able to spread fear amongst the villagers? What are the Americans doing in there?

[jawanmardan]

jawanmardan,

These were the goals of the americans a couple of decades ago when they were on the same side as the Taliban driving out the Russians. But we all know what happened. Americans do not go into any territory to spread freedom and democracry. They are there to serve their own interests. Free and democratic people do not serve America's interests. There are countless examples of this in the last hundred years.

I agree to the extent that United States supplied the Pakistanis with the funding and weapons and didn't care who the Pakistani's chose to support. Also let us remember that in the 1990s the Pakistanis continued to support the Taliban in the absence of American participation because the ISI saw and still do see Afghanistan as and I quote: "strategic depth in possible future war with India".

The west has a vested interest in a stable independent Afghanistan, a state that cannot harbour terrorist training camps. But the political will has been drained by Iraq. My fear is the Taliban and the government may end up in perpetual conflict after the withdrawal, with the US focussing on Al-Qaida with drone attacks and abandoning the development of the country.

Americans have been in Afghanistan for close to 10 years now, with numbers that are triple the estimated Taliban or even more, and the Taliban and still able to spread fear amongst the villagers? What are the Americans doing in there?

I do think the west now has the right strategy: Taking and holding more ground, the change in focus from quantity to quality in the training of the national army, taking a tougher line with Pakistan which still acts as a save haven, and revamping the contracting process for the rebuilding of infrastructure, attempting to bring in moderate Taliban into the political process. However, Karzai remains more of an impediment than a solution.

[seeker110]

Jawanmardan, you dont send army to build nations.Army can do one thing only and that is to kill people.To build nations you send engineers build roads,power plants.Clean water technology,lots of concrete and paints, tractors and tools.People stop watching news.Its is a way to stop you from thinking.The game is always rigged.

[anajmi]

However, Karzai remains more of an impediment than a solution.

To start with, Karzai was, and is, an American stooge. One important thing I forgot to mention is that for the entire period of 10 years that the Americans have been in Afghanistan, they've had infinitely more resources at their disposal than the Taliban.

One thing history teaches us again and again is that superpowers have always been unable to beat the common man, doesn't matter how many bombs they drop. Taliban, Al Qaida, come in handy to keep a population scared. Vote for us or Osama will get you!!

[Fatwa Banker]

Einstein,

What is your solution ? Let Afghanistan continue to be your Wahabi Disneyland ? I am against this war for several reasons none of which have been mentioned here.

1. Afghanistan is not a country and has never been. It is a hodge podge of tribes and villages
2. Armies cannot defeat religious beliefs
3. Armies cannot defeat culture
4. Armies cannot defeat tradition

None of the above were caused by the West. Whether we leave this month or 10 years from now, Afghanis will begin killing each other soon thereafter, and various groups / tribes will fight for "independance" from the other. Iraq will be no different. As soon as we leave, Iraq will be 3 groups fighting for independance from each other.

Armies defeat the "common man" every day, primarily in Muslim countries and N. Korea.

[anajmi]

Fart,

Discussing these issues with you is pointless. You are a fart from both ends. And I am getting tired of slapping you around. It took morons like you ten years, millions of lives and trillions of dollars to figure out what you were told before even the first bomb was dropped. You dumb shits are the reason the world is screwed up!!

[anajmi]

What is your solution ?

My solution is that the Americans get out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Take their stooges with them. Give compensation for the havoc caused. Apologize for the loss of life and sign a treaty to help the Afghan and Iraq economies without pre-conditions.

[jawanmardan]

Jawanmardan, you dont send army to build nations.Army can do one thing only and that is to kill people.To build nations you send engineers build roads,power plants.Clean water technology,lots of concrete and paints, tractors and tools.People stop watching news.Its is a way to stop you from thinking.The game is always rigged.

Without security investors will not invest, engineers will not work or teach, power plants will not be free from attack.

However, Karzai remains more of an impediment than a solution.

To start with, Karzai was, and is, an American stooge. One important thing I forgot to mention is that for the entire period of 10 years that the Americans have been in Afghanistan, they've had infinitely more resources at their disposal than the Taliban.

One thing history teaches us again and again is that superpowers have always been unable to beat the common man, doesn't matter how many bombs they drop. Taliban, Al Qaida, come in handy to keep a population scared. Vote for us or Osama will get you!!

If the Americans could get rid of Karzai they would. His a gross embarrassment, the levels of corruption, vote rigging, and idiotic statements his made have made him very unpopular in the west.

The country has had 30 years of war, the Talibans economic policy involved selling off the metal and cabling from power plants and the like as scrap metal in Lahore. The west is effectively having to start from scratch, the Talibans constant use of violence has made reconstruction impossible in some regions. In those parts of the country where the Taliban have been beaten back you can see a prospering economy and a mesurable improvement in quality of peoples lives.

1. Afghanistan is not a country and has never been. It is a hodge podge of tribes and villages

Afghanistan has a history of sovereignty independent of western colonialism. Iraq it is not. While there is interethnic conflict, Afghans have and still do retain a sense of national identity.

2. Armies cannot defeat religious beliefs
3. Armies cannot defeat culture
4. Armies cannot defeat tradition

No, but they can prevent certain religious beliefs being forcibly enforced, they can in conjunction with political and development work produce alternative ideologies to those espoused by the radicals.

None of the above were caused by the West. Whether we leave this month or 10 years from now, Afghanis will begin killing each other soon thereafter, and various groups / tribes will fight for "independance" from the other. Iraq will be no different. As soon as we leave, Iraq will be 3 groups fighting for independance from each other.

The west was complicit in supporting religious fundamentals who used western support to rout secularists and moderate Muslims. Anyone who looks at the kind of state Afghanistan was in the 1970s could hardly recognise the place today.

[Fatwa Banker]

My solution is that the Americans get out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Wahabi Rocket Scientist,

Do you long for the days when Wahabis used to kill women for sport in stadiums ?

[anajmi]

fart

I am hoping you are not living in a cave, so your computer probably has access to YouTube. And so you must've seen a few videos of Americans killing afghani and Iraqi people for sport. And you are dumb but not amnesiac so you probably still remember Abu ghraib. Now crawl back into your hole before I spank you.

[seeker110]

Jawan wrote

"Without security investors will not invest, engineers will not work or teach, power plants will not be free from attack".
Think about Peace Corp.Insecurity is produced by Jack Thugs kicking down doors and shooting randomly.Most majors in oil business have already done 50 year contracts for the oil fields up north.Billions have been spent bribing and set ups.They need a corridor to bring the oil to the super tankers.Pasni/gawader or BanderAbbas can accommodate that. Thats where they invest,get their land for nothing.
Only other investment is in the poppy fields.Brings cold cash for Black Ops without any accounting for congress or the people of Nato.This and some mines are the only investment I can think of,no one can get in on that.Then again I could be wrong.

[Fatwa Banker]

Jaahil,

Stop getting your news from YouTube. If American's are killing Muslims for sport, then why not get your Wahabi behind out of the US ?

[anajmi]

Stop getting your news from YouTube.

Spoken like a true brain-washed fart.

then why not get your Wahabi behind out of the US ?

As soon you farts get your behind out of wahhabi land.

[Fatwa Banker]

Promise

[anajmi]

oh yeah I promise. I know you farts too well. You will never let me break my promise.

[Fatwa Banker]

Never....
You must be dreading the Afghan and Iraq withdrawal deadlines

[anajmi]

The fart is now scraping the bottom of the barrel after he has been well and truly hammered. The withdrawal deadlines are for brain washed morons like you. The rest of us know what they mean!! You are not leaving on your own. You will be kicked out.

[Fatwa Banker]

Fart Junkie,

..okay, so if we are kicked out, you will still leave the US correct ?

[anajmi]

Nope. Not if you are kicked out. That was not the promise fart. I see you are sweating already.

[Fatwa Banker]

Darn ! I knew you would weasel out of it
... we have been good to you and your family and you don't want to leave...deep inside you know this is the best that has happened to you. I completely understand...

[anajmi]

Looks like the fart agrees that they will not be leaving wahhabi land out of their own free will but will be kicked out.

we have been good to you and your family

Shut up fart. You would kick us out the first chance you get. That is why you've been trying to con me into making promises to leave. This is a "free economy" fart. I get only what I work for. And I've been paying for a lot of wannabe white trash like you!!

Besides, this country is now turning into Saudi Arabia. The freedom to build places of worship for your own religion is slowly dissappearing. Places of worship are now being defiled like in any other third world country. Farts are ruining the best part of America!!

[ghulam muhammed]

The Karzai Family Fortune, Courtesy of U.S. Taxpayers

The average Afghan — and, indeed, the average American — may be deriving very little benefit from the United States’ continued occupation of Afghanistan and the billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars that continue to be poured into that country, but in both countries the well-connected make out quite handsomely. In Afghanistan, the key to prosperity and power, it seems, is having the surname of Karzai, as in President Hamid Karzai.

“In recent years,” the New York Times’ James Risen reports, “dozens of Karzai family members and close allies have taken government jobs, pursued business interests or worked as contractors to the United States government, allowing them to shape policy or financially benefit from it.” “American officials,” Risen writes, “say the Karzais and a handful of other well-connected families have benefited from the billions of dollars that the United States has poured into the country since 2001. That money has helped pay the salaries of some Karzais who are government employees, kick-started real estate development and construction projects involving family members and created demand for businesses tied to the Karzais.”

There may be more to the Karzai infestation of the Afghan government than simple greed, however. With President Karzai far from secure in his position, he needs as many loyal people in the government and other centers of power as possible. Ronald E. Neumann, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007, told Risen, “Karzai is convinced that we are going to abandon him. What’s his answer? To create a web of loyalties and militia commanders and corrupt families all knitted together.”

Americans can only hope that Karzai’s feared abandonment comes to pass. Too many American lives and dollars have been spent on the unconstitutional Afghan project already, especially given that the result has been to create a personal fiefdom for the Karzai family, which continues to enrich itself every day that the U.S. occupation and aid continue. We Americans can’t even afford our own corrupt political class; it’s time we stopped funding Afghanistan’s.

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php ... -taxpayers

[Fatwa Banker]

Fart Junkie,

Does this mean you are leaving after all ?