A Complete U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan Will Save The U.S. Taxpayer $111 Billion

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Andres Rodriguez, right, uses the optic lens on his weapon to locate an enemy sniper after taking fire during Operation Grizzly in Helmand province, Afghanistan, July 18, 2013. Rodriguez is assigned to Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Bobby Yarbrough

Obama’s “Zero Option” Saves $111 Billion in Afghanistan -- David Francis, Fiscal Times

Peter Lavoy, the Pentagon’s top policy official on Afghanistan, told reporters last week that the so-called "zero option" - the complete withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 - was not a viable option for President Obama.

Lavoy said a six month review of the security situation in Afghanistan determined that the only way to hold onto any of the hard fought gains made there would require the long-term U.S. support of troops and financing. While he did not make a specific recommendation for the number of troops that would be needed, he said that the complete withdrawal of all U.S. troops was unrealistic.

"In none of these cases have we developed an option that is zero," Lavoy said. "We envision that it will take a period of time before [Afghan security forces] can adequately fully have sovereign ownership of all those skill sets, including well beyond the 2014 date."

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My Comment: This U.S. mission in Afghanistan has (so far) cost the following ....

.... The United States has already spent $667 billion in Afghanistan, according to the National Priorities Project’s Cost of War project. Nearly 2,250 soldiers have lost their lives there, and an additional 18,886 were wounded.

Yup .... the temptation to leave is definitely there.