In 2018 military presence in Afghanistan would cost US $45 billion, said the assistant Secretary of defense for security Affairs in the Asia-Pacific region Randall Shriver.
Approximately $13 billion will go to support the American troops in Afghanistan, $5 billion from the Afghan army, $780 million in economic aid to the country, the rest — on the provision of military logistical base.
We will remind, in August of 2017 Donald Trump said to increase the American military contingent in Afghanistan from 8.4 to 14 thousand people. However, not all support this strategy.
Republican senator Rand Paul said he believes the billions of dollars in aid to Afghanistan simply «wasted» because, despite longstanding support from the United States, the country still can not protect themselves.
«I think that the threat to U.S. national security is stronger, the more we spend and the longer we stay there… We’re in a terrible situation, says Paul. — I believe that [in this situation] there is no military solution…»
Supporters of the military administration’s strategy in Afghanistan believe that the new course and the increased American presence in this country is absolutely the right decision to protect American interests.
«I understand that this is the longest war for America, but our interests in terms of security in the Afghan region is quite significant… to continue to support the Afghan government in its fight against the Taliban,» says U.S. Deputy Secretary of state John Sullivan.
The specific number of Taliban fighting in Afghanistan, the US authorities did not specify.
