Pentagon Wants $33B More for Afghan War

Pentagon Wants $33B More for Afghan War
March 26, 2010
Christian Science Monitor|by Gordon Lubold

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon wants $33 billion in additional funding to pay for the war in Afghanistan this year and train the Afghan military, but members of Congress want to make sure they’re not writing a blank check.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared before Senate appropriators to defend the war supplemental, which is on top of the $708 billion baseline budget submitted to Congress in February.

Most of the war supplemental -– a separate account used to pay for war costs -– will pay for Afghanistan operations. Of that, $2.6 billion is to train the Afghan national security force, seen as a long-term endeavor that Congress worries could become a burden over time.

When can US forces leave?
“The question is, how long is that going to have to continue to the point where we can kind of say we’ve done our thing,” asked Sen. George Voinovich (R) of Ohio. “Five years, ten years, 15 years?”

That question is atop many lawmakers minds as they consider what the Obama administration has said from the start will take years to accomplish.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/pentagon-wants-33b-more-for-afghan-war.html?col=1186032310810



unhappycamper comment: Hate to sound like a broken record, but where is PO going to get the money? On the credit card? Print it? We've already tossed a tillion dollars at the Pentagon for this year. When will it ever be enough?

Let 'em go door-to-door selling candy bars or wrapping paper.

"Of that,<$33B> $2.6 billion is to train the Afghan national security force"

So where does the other $30.4B come into account?
Whatever happened to payGo? The DOD has a $600B annual budget. Maybe they should learn how to better manage their funds.

black programs.

Is it any wonder we're running a huge deficit? That we have enormous national debt?
Why is this NEVER part of the discussion? Anywhere? The DOD is untouchable.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/mo-budget.htm

Russia will boost defense spending 26 percent to a post-Soviet record in 2009 as it adds weapons and raises salaries, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said 11 September 2008. Defense spending, including arms purchases and pay raises, will reach 1.28 trillion rubles ($50 billion) in 2009, Kudrin told lawmakers in Moscow.

And, of course, their horde of media fawners to get them all on the teevee? Full hearing. Respectful coverage. Or would the media turn against their little darlings if they objected to squandering money on pointless war?

They are the ones who wanted the war and the oil.

They want to throw more money down that hole?

And they still haven't accounted for the trillions gone missing.

We spend a trillion dollars a year on the pentagon's 'death to all' antics, yet we squabble over spending a million to keep children healthy? This country is f'd up.

NO MORE MONEY FOR WARS

Meanwhile, back at home, our country is going to hell for want of government money. Sad set of priorities we've got there.

Works every time.

the noise will get louder if the Pentagon
doesn't get its money and bankrupt the government.

What a ponzi game.

which is about 2 times as much as what Russia spends.

Russia will boost defense spending 26 percent to a post-Soviet record in 2009 as it adds weapons and raises salaries, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said 11 September 2008. Defense spending, including arms purchases and pay raises, will reach 1.28 trillion rubles ($50 billion) in 2009, Kudrin told lawmakers in Moscow.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/mo-budget.htm

i think they should go over to the insurance, pharma, and banking industries for a handout. i hear they're pretty flush.

He's never see a military budget or supplemental he hasn't liked.