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Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics in the news and in life

Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics in the news and in life.

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The Bill for Afghanistan

04/09/2021 GMT

The bill for Afghanistan

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Did the war in Afghanistan cost the US $2 trillion?

Did the war in Afghanistan cost the US $2 trillion? And how much is the equipment the Taliban have captured worth?

American President Joe Biden has said the war in Afghanistan cost more than $2 trillion. Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic International Studies helps us unpick what is included in this figure.
 
Plus, when the Taliban gained territory, they also took control of military equipment which had been left behind. One Republican congressman has said this was worth $85 billion. Jonathan Schroden, the director of their Countering Threats and Challenges Program, at the research organisation CNA explains where this figure comes from. 

(Photo: Taliban fighters take a tour of the military vehicles left in Kabul after they seized the airport. 31 Aug, 2021. Credit: Marcus Yam/ Getty images)

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