Bloomberg Business Week
David Lerman
09/04/2014
Katulis said it may be too soon to dismiss as a failure the 13-year U.S. effort in Afghanistan, which so far has cost 2,342 Americans their lives, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It also has cost U.S. taxpayers about $745 billion, the National Priorities Project estimates. Still, Katulis said, “We certainly aren’t where the administration hoped we would be.”
The Obama administration and its allies had wanted to welcome Afghanistan’s new leader at the NATO summit, which convenes today, and celebrate the signing of a security agreement that would let U.S. forces remain in the country until the end of 2016. The goal was to avoid a hasty withdrawal that could help open the way to a resurgence of Taliban forces.
