Rethink Afghanistan, October 22, 2010

BETTER IDEA: Bringing home 243 troops could pay for all higher education for Afghanistan this year

The war in Afghanistan isn't making us safer, and it's not worth the cost

The New York Times, Oct. 20, 2010: Mr. Mortenson says that $243 million is needed to fund all higher education in Afghanistan this year. He suggests that America hold a press conference here in Kabul and put just 243 of our 100,000 soldiers (each costing $1 million per year) on planes home. Then the U.S. could take the savings and hand over a check to pay for Afghanistan’s universities. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Nicholas Kristof's New York Times column shares a shocking statistic that shows the U.S.'s warped priorities in Afghanistan: if we brought home just 243 troops, we'd save enough money to pay for all higher education everywhere in Afghanistan this year.

Mr. [Greg] Mortenson says that $243 million is needed to fund all higher education in Afghanistan this year. He suggests that America hold a press conference here in Kabul and put just 243 of our 100,000 soldiers (each costing $1 million per year) on planes home. Then the U.S. could take the savings and hand over a check to pay for Afghanistan’s universities.

The war in Afghanistan isn't making us safer, and it's not worth the cost. The fact that bringing home 243 troops could pay for all higher education in Afghanistan this year shows that there are much, much better ways of stabilizing Afghanistan and improving the lives of Afghans if we're willing to let go of military force as the answer.

Read Kristof's full column at The New York Times. ( http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/opinion/21kristof.html?_r=1 )

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