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Wednesday, March 06, 2019

Bill To End 'Forever War' In Afghanistan, Compensate Veterans, Introduced In Senate

A bipartisan bill introduced on Tuesday by Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Tom Udall (D-NM) would end US involvement in the nearly two-decade-long war in Afghanistan.

The 2019 American Forces Going Home After Noble Service (AFGHANS) Act calls for a declaration of victory in Afghanistan, along with a 45-day deadline for a comprehensive withdrawal plan to withdraw all US forces within a year, according to a statement from Paul's office.

The bill also calls for the establishment of a "framework for political reconciliation to be implemented by Afghans."

Additionally, the legislation would require the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) to be repealed at the end of the withdrawal. Passed in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the AUMF has come under political scrutiny in recent years as it is still used to bypass Congress in justifying military operations against terrorist groups.

And the bill would have the federal government pay, within one year, a $2,500 bonus to the more than 3 million military service members who have served in the war — a one-time cost of about $7 billion.

That bonus would be “an immediate savings of over 83% when compared to the current yearly costs,” the statement says. -The Hill

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with the proposal to end the troop occupation of Afghanistan. The private for profit forces can handle guarding the poppie fields. The Taliban won’t burn them down, if the Americans will just leave. They will ship the heroin to a CIA-approved facility. So on . . .

Anonymous said...

A $2,500 bonus? What an insult!