From New York Times:While President Obama’s decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan is primarily a military one, it also has substantial budget implications that are adding pressure to limit the commitment, senior administration officials say.
The latest internal government estimates place the cost of adding 40,000 American troops and sharply expanding the Afghan security forces, as favored by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top American and allied commander in Afghanistan, at $40 billion to $54 billion a year, the officials said.
Even if fewer troops are sent, or their mission is modified, the rough formula used by the White House, of about $1 million per soldier per year, appears almost constant.
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My Comment: Is is always about the money. Since the beginning of time, Kings and Governments were always concerned on how to pay for the armies that they put together .... from the sound of things in Washington, it appears that nothing has changed.
On a side note .... a possible U.S. Defense budget of $734 billion dollars .... you got to be kidding. I am a defense hawk .... but spending that amount of money in today's world is ridiculous.