A New Way Forward: The Report
At almost nine years, the U.S. war in Afghanistan is the longest in our history, surpassing even the Vietnam War, and it will shortly surpass the Soviet Union’s own extended military campaign there. With the surge, it will cost the U.S. taxpayers nearly $100 billion per year, a sum roughly seven times larger than Afghanistan’s annual gross national product (GNP) of $14 billion and greater than the total annual cost of the new U.S. health insurance program. Thousands of American and allied personnel have been killed or gravely wounded.
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The way Forward:
A five point approach
- Emphasize Power-Sharing and Political Reconciliation
- Scale Back and Eventually Suspend Combat Operations in the South and Reduce the U.S. Military Footprint
- Keep the Focus on Al Qaeda and Domestic Security
- Promote Economic Development
- Engage Global and Regional Stakeholders.