What has the war in Afghanistan cost the US?

It has costs us far too much in human life and suffering. We will continue to pay on that account, just as we are doing for the Vietnam war.

IMO, we should withdraw now. Negotiating with the Talban is useless as they will not abide by any agreement. After we eventually pull out, they will take over again.

Will we ever learn?

Sometimes I wonder how much $ it would have cost to have just BOUGHT Bin Laden from Afghanistan. Instead of threats of invasion and bombs and death, what if we had just said, "Hey, here's 10 years of your GDP - $45 billion - to just hand over Bin Laden to the US for a trail. Deal?" Would the Taliban have taken the cash? It seems like a no-brainer for them.

I mean, they had already offered him up for a trial - they just wanted some evidence before throwing him to the hoard.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/oct/14/afghanistan.terrorism5?fbclid=IwAR3mFb2cfb3knnRoy5rtY1GxL2W0nDeU5o_vaPVwyX0MnSmmge-L1A4QERQ

What about Saddam? $160 billion to just step aside from Iraq and let it have free elections.

We would have saved SO much money and so many lives.

Now, Iraq may have been different, because maybe Saddam didn't care about money, but cared about power - so that wouldn't have worked, but Afghanistan? I have little doubt we could have bought Bin Laden from them.

It is interesting that Afghanistan governmental officials are not partaking in the negotiations with the Taliban. I believe after we leave, the Taliban, ISIS, and the Afghan soldiers will duke it out.