[So were there forever?]
The Afghan government isn’t uniquely incompetent. The problem is that unlike say, the Colombian government, which has fought a guerrilla insurgency for 50 years, but has been fairly stable in recent decades, the Afghan regime is brand spanking new as governments go. So the funding will taper down as the government gets its act together to the extent one can in that region of the world.
If you’re interested, the numbers for spending in Afghanistan and Iraq are on page 16 of this Congressional Budget Office document:
https://www.cbo.gov/system/files?file=2018-10/54219-oco_spending.pdf
We stood up a brand new government. It takes a while for everyone to settle into their roles...the government will slowly get its act together...
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I don’t share your optimism. Its a tribal culture and has been for thousands of years. We’re never going to change that “society” in any meaningful or lasting way.
How many American lives will be lost over the next few decades to supposedly protect our national interests (what are they really and who is profiting handsomely from them?). And how many loved ones, realtives and friends are we willing to sacrifice for these tribal and duplicitous ingrates?
Open ended engagements have, and continue to take, a horrific toll on this country. The nation is tired of the devastating and long term effects of those losses.
I was in the military. It saddens me deeply to see this tragic waste.