$36 Billion in Military Hardware Could be Destroyed in Afghan Pullout

[mountaineer]

$36 Billion of Military Hardware Could Be Destroyed in Afghan Pullout
Tuesday, 05 Mar 2013 11:21 AM
By Todd Beamon

The Obama White House is cutting $65 billion in the sequester, but it could easily leave or torch 750,000 pieces of major military hardware — worth $36 billion — in Afghanistan after U.S. troops pull out by the end of next year.

Here are the options, according to Face the Facts USA of the George Washington University: Leave the equipment — or destroy it — in Afghanistan; move it to other U.S. military outposts; or transfer it to another U.S. agency or to another country.

The estimated cost for the latter two options: $5.7 billion.

The equipment includes trucks, aircraft, and armored vehicles — most of which are controlled by the Army.

Because the Afghanistan terrain is mountainous and landlocked, transport would be difficult. But leaving it behind intact could put the equipment in the wrong hands.

So, is it best to torch $36 billion in U.S. military assets?


Newsmax

[Atomic Cow]

This is pretty much par for the course.  It happened in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and probably every other war we've fought overseas.

[Cincinnatus]

True enough: This is pretty much par for the course.  It happened in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and probably every other war we've fought overseas.

But Obambi is doing this at a time when we are so short of funds he's shutting down tours of the WH, so why not remove the equipment which would be far cheaper?

[Atomic Cow]

True enough: This is pretty much par for the course.  It happened in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and probably every other war we've fought overseas.

But Obambi is doing this at a time when we are so short of funds he's shutting down tours of the WH, so why not remove the equipment which would be far cheaper?

If it is similar to what has happened before, most of the equipment is either obsolete, at the end of its service life, or it will cost more to bring back to the US due to its depreciated value/condition.

I'm not saying everything should be left behind, just that some of the stuff likely isn't worth bringing back.

[Cincinnatus]

This. too, may be the case, I'm not saying everything should be left behind, just that some of the stuff likely isn't worth bringing back. but consider: worth $36 billion..., to remove it cost $5.7 billion.

Kind of a no brainer especially given we cannot even afford to conduct tours of the WH.

[mountaineer]

But leaving it behind intact could put the equipment in the wrong hands.

This is the part of the story that bothers me.