Dubbed as the “longest war in U.S. history”, the war in Afghanistan has lasted 104 months. As Washington tries to get itself together after the McChrystal uproar, the U.S. sinks deeper into what Eric Walberg calls an “everlasting war”. The result of the war is an expansive U.S. Special Operations headquarters supported by $100 million of taxpayers’ money, and 700 bases in Afghanistan, giving U.S. generals a reason not to leave.
The new policies to improve security are wasteful and dangerous. The 5,000 Afghan National Civil Order Police, paid for by the West, is embroiled in corruption and drug use. Afghan security companies such as Matiullah’s carry out the destruction of villages. Huge cash payments from Americans undermine local governments that NATO works to strengthen. To exacerbate the situation, Karzai’s cousin, Rashid Popal, was caught colluding with the Taliban. As a NATO official said, “We’re funding both sides of the war”.
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