The House resolution proposed by Representative Dennis Kucinich, House Concurrent Res. 248, generated impassioned speeches by its supporters, but failed in the vote by a lopsided 65-356. The aim of the resolution was to end the US military occupation in Afghanistan by the end of 2010. The majority of both Democrats and Republicans rejected the resolution on the grounds that there was an already a consensus on the decision to increase troop levels in Afghanistan, which they supported.
In the meantime, official estimates of the US troop level in Afghanistan indicate that there will be approximately 100,000 troops in the country by this summer. The expense for each of the additional soldiers is reported to be $1 million per year.
The number of contractors and their employees will also soar, along with expected tens of thousands of troops from allied countries. Figures from the DOD indicate there were already 104,100 contractors/employees by December 2009. Contractors provide a variety of services, including food, transportation, construction, and security. Large contractors like KBR, DynCorp, Halliburton, and Xe (formerly Blackwater) get the lion's share of the DOD money spent on these services.
The failure of the Kucinich resolution and the continued expansion of the occupation offer little solace for opponents of the war.
http://news.antiwar.com.2010/03/10/house-votes-against-ending-afghan-waar
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latest-news/how-many-private-contractors-are-there-afghanistan-military-gives-us-numbers
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