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One current estimate pegs the conflict's total cost at $841 billion. That comes from Anthony Cordesman, the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Cordesman, who served as a consultant to the Departments of State and Defense during the Afghan and Iraq wars, says that figure includes Trump's budget request for next year.

Related from CNN: Afghanistan: 16 years, thousands dead and no clear end in sight

Other estimates place the 16-year cost in the trillions of dollars because they measure a broader range of factors.

For instance, Neta Crawford, a co-director of the Cost of Wars Project at Brown University, has estimated that total war spending in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan since 2001 is approaching $5 trillion. Of that, roughly $2 trillion is attributable to Afghanistan. That includes some future cost obligations.

But even that higher figure leaves out some key expenses, such as the future costs of interest Americans will owe for the money borrowed to finance the war in Afghanistan. That alone could add trillions of dollars to the total tab.

While the U.S. has a history of wartime taxation to finance military conflicts -- albeit uneven -- that tradition was broken with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to tax historian Joe Thorndike. Not only did Congress not pass a tax to finance the efforts, it opted instead to pass the Bush tax cuts.

Related: The U.S. already spends more on defense than any other country

The $2 trillion also doesn't include future spending on the Department of Veterans Affairs related to Afghanistan or the money paid by states and localities for services provided to returning vets.

Estimates vary widely because there is no clearly delineated, uniform way that money spent on wars is allocated or counted by the White House or Congress.

And, of course, no financial estimate can offer a measure of the true cost of war -- the loss of human life on all sides as well as the physical and psychological disabilities suffered by those who survive -- whether military or civilian.

CNNMoney (New York) First published August 21, 2017: 5:50 PM ET

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The financial cost of 16 years in Afghanistan - CNNMoney

President Trump isset to address U.S. troops and the nation about the war in Afghanistan Monday night, the White House announced on Sunday, as the president considers whether to take a new approach to the conflict that has stretched on for 16 years.

Trump will "provide an update on the path forward for Americas engagement in Afghanistan and South Asia" at 9 p.m. ET, the White House said. The president is scheduled to speak from Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia.

The president hinted Saturday that he and top U.S. generals have agreed on a new strategy for America's longest war, after huddling Friday at the presidential Camp David retreat.

"Important day spent at Camp David with our very talented Generals and military leaders," Trump tweeted. "Many decisions made, including on Afghanistan."

Since taking office, Trump has considered several options for Afghanistan, from sending in additional troops to walking away from the war, an unlikely move considering U.S. concerns about thwarting Islamic terrorism.

Solutions for Afghanistan, which include ending the longest war in American history, eluded the Obama administration and have not come easily to Trump.

The challenge is largely how to step up the fight against terrorism in a way that advances peace prospects -- in large part because the Taliban have gained ground and show no interest in peace negotiations.

Trump met at the presidential retreat, in nearby western Maryland, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, top intelligence agency officials and other top military and diplomatic aides.

Mattis said earlier this week the administration was "very close" to finalizing a new approach, after the defense secretary presented the president with "several" options.

"I'm very comfortable that the strategic process wassufficiently rigorous," Mattis added, saying Trump asked questions about each option.

Months ago the Pentagon settled on a plan to send about 3,800 additional troops to strengthen the Afghan army, which is stuck in what some call a deteriorating situation with the Taliban insurgency. Within in the White House, questions persist about the wisdom of investing further resources in the war. Even if the administration decides to add more troops, it's unclear whether they could get there quickly enough to make a difference in the current Afghan fighting season, which winds down in autumn.

The administration has said its Afghanistan strategy will be informed by a review of its approach to the broader region, including Pakistan and India. The Taliban have long used Pakistan as a sanctuary, complicating efforts to defeat the insurgency in Afghanistan and stabilize the country. The region includes other actors who pose political problems for Washington, including Iran, which has influence in western Afghanistan.

Government forces also are battling an Islamic State affiliate that has carved out a foothold mostly in the east. Trump has vowed to crush ISIS, so its expansion in Afghanistan poses an additional challenge with no immediate solution. Just this week, a U.S. soldier was killed and nearly a dozen were wounded in combat with ISIS fighters.

The U.S. has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Their primary roles are to train and advise Afghan forces and to hunt down and kill members of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups.

Fox News' Kristin Brown, Joseph Weber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Trump to address nation on Afghanistan | Fox News

President Trump hinted Saturday that he and top U.S. generals have agreed on a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, after huddling Friday at the presidential Camp David retreat.

"Important day spent at Camp David with our very talented Generals and military leaders," Trump tweeted. "Many decisions made, including on Afghanistan."

Since taking office, Trump has considered several options for Afghanistan, from sending in additional troops to walking away from the war, an unlikely move considering U.S. concerns about thwarting Islamic terrorism.

Solutions for Afghanistan, which include ending the longest war in American history, eluded the Obama administration and haven't come easily to Trump.

The challenge is largely how to step up the fight against terrorism in a way that advances peace prospects -- in large part because the Taliban has been gaining ground and shows no interest in peace negotiations.

Trump met at the presidential retreat, in nearby western Maryland, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, top intelligence agency officials and other top military and diplomatic aides.

Mattis said earlier this week the administration was "very close" to finalizing a new approach and that the talks in the Catoctin Mountains will help the president and his team move toward a decision.

"We are coming very close, he said. And I anticipate (a decision) in the very near future.

Gen. Joseph Votel, the Central Command chief who is responsible for U.S. military operations in the greater Middle East, was not part of the meetings.

Votel said Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford, the Joint Chiefs chairman, represent him in the White House-led Afghanistan strategy review.

He also said he has not talked directly to Trump as part of the months-long review.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a brief statement earlier this week saying Trump had been briefed extensively on a new strategy to protect America's interests in the region. But she did not specifically mention Afghanistan.

The U.S. has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Their primary roles are to train and advise Afghan forces and to hunt down and kill members of Al Qaeda and other extremist groups.

Months ago, the Pentagon settled on a plan to send about 3,800 additional troops to strengthen the Afghan army, which is stuck in what some call a deteriorating situation with the Taliban insurgency.

Within the White House, questions persist about the wisdom of investing further resources in the war. Even if the administration decides to add more troops, it's unclear whether they could get there quickly enough to make a difference in the current Afghan fighting season, which winds down in autumn.

The administration has said its Afghanistan strategy will be informed by a review of its approach to the broader region, including Pakistan and India. The Taliban have long used Pakistan as a sanctuary, complicating efforts to defeat the insurgency in Afghanistan and stabilize the country.

The region includes other actors who pose political problems for Washington, including Iran, which has influence in western Afghanistan.

The outlook is clouded by the Afghan government's struggle to halt Taliban advances on its own. The U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction has said the Taliban hold sway in almost half the country.

Government forces also are battling an Islamic State affiliate that has carved out a foothold, mostly in the east. Trump has vowed to crush IS, so its expansion in Afghanistan poses an additional challenge with no obvious solution. Just this week, a U.S. soldier was killed and nearly a dozen wounded in combat with IS fighters.

Trump has expressed frustration at the prolonged fighting in Afghanistan. Earlier this summer he raised the idea of firing the top U.S. commander there, Gen. John Nicholson.

Asked this week if Trump has confidence in Nicholson, Mattis demurred. "Ask the president," he answered.

Trump is "looking at all aspects" of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan "as he must in his responsibilities as the commander in chief," Mattis said.

Nicholson also was not participating in Friday's talks at Camp David.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Trump hints at Afghanistan agreement with US generals | Fox News

In a nationally televised primetime address Monday, President Trump will unveil a "path forward" for the U.S. in Afghanistan.

The president returned to the White House Sunday night after a weekend spent in New Jersey with the first family. There, Mr. Trump met with members of his National Security Council and came to a decision on a new strategy in the nearly 16-year long war in Afghanistan to raise troop levels and take a broader approach in the region.

Play Video

Seven months into his presidency, President Trump is shifting his focus to "America's longest war" with an announcement Monday. Errol Barnett rep...

Mr. Trump's decision has been delayed for months by concerns that the U.S.-led coalition and Afghan military are not winning the fight against the Taliban, al Qaeda and ISIS. In his address Monday night, Mr. Trump will give his path forward from the longest war in American history, reports CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan.

The president is expected to green light the deployment of around 4,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan and put new pressure on nearby Pakistan to stop giving safe haven to terrorists.

"The strategic process was sufficiently rigorous and did not go in with a preset condition in terms of what questions could be asked or what decisions would be made," Defense Secretary James Mattis said Sunday.

The president is considering several possibilities to pressure Pakistan into stepping up the fight against terrorism, including reducing aid, taking away its status as a non-NATO ally, and threatening to name Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Mattis said U.S. troop numbers may fluctuate, adding to the already more than 8,000 forces in country.

Mr. Trump has questioned whether to pull out of Afghanistan, which the Obama administration had once advocated.

"I want to find out why we've been there for 17 years," Mr. Trump said in July.

"The real question is what is our strategy? And then when you lay out the strategy, then the troop strength question can kind of answer itself," Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said Sunday on "Face the Nation."

Play Video

President Trump has so far rejected the advice of his national security adviser for the next steps in Afghanistan, a war that's been going on for...

In search of a new approach, now former chief strategist Steve Bannon had urged Mr. Trump to send paid mercenaries instead of troops an idea that appeared to die with Bannon's Friday ouster.

Sources tell CBS News the president was frustrated by descriptions of Bannon as his political mastermind. A self-described nationalist, Bannon saw himself as part of a new political order. Within hours of his firing, Bannon rejoined Breitbart news and declared war on the opposition. Bannon told the Weekly Standard, "The Trump presidency that we fought for and won is over."

2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Trump's Afghanistan strategy to put new pressure on Pakistan - CBS News

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Donald Trump will make a prime-time speech about Afghanistan and South Asia on Monday as he looks to get his presidency back on track following the departure of chief strategist Stephen Bannon and a week of tumult over his response to white-nationalist violence.

The president ends his 17-day working vacation, spent largely at his golf resort in New Jersey, and returns to Washington Sunday night with his popularity at a low ebb. Monday night, hell address our nations troops and the American people at 9 p.m. Washington time, according to a White House statement.

Bloombergs Kevin Cirilli previews a primetime speech for President Trump on Afghanistan.

(Source: Bloomberg)

The speech comes after Trump faced widespread criticism and had to disband several advisory councils over his remarks that appeared to confer legitimacy on white supremacists following a violent rally Aug. 12 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The address at Fort Myer, a U.S. Army post in Arlington, Virginia, a few miles from the White House, could be one of Trumps most important speeches yet.

Details of the revised U.S. Afghanistan policy were hashed out Friday at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, where Trump assembled his defense and national security teams for an hours-long meeting.

Important day spent at Camp David with our very talented Generals and military leaders. Many decisions made, including on Afghanistan, Trump said Saturday on Twitter.

A key point is whether Trump is prepared to commit more troops to Americas longest-running conflict, which the U.S. initiated after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Bannon, who opposed an expanding presence, wasnt at the Camp David meeting and departed as Trumps chief strategist on Aug. 18.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster back a proposal to add troops focused on training Afghan special forces. Its intended to show a U.S. commitment to stay in the country, prod Taliban fighters to the negotiating table and stem the increased presence of terrorist groups including Islamic State.

Mattis was careful not to preempt his boss on the Afghanistan speech when he spoke to reporters on a military aircraft Sunday en route to Amman. He said he was satisfied with the process of formulating the new war strategy while not giving details.

I am very comfortable that the strategic process was sufficiently rigorous, Mattis said, according to the Associated Press. Trump had been presented with multiple options, he added.

Months ago, Trump gave his defense chief the go-ahead to set troop levels in Afghanistan as he saw fit, but Mattis didnt take him up on the offer. I was not willing to make significant troop lifts until we made certain we knew what was the strategy, what was the commitment going in. In that regard, the president has made a decision, Mattis said.

Mondays speech also gives Trump a chance to hit the reset button on his role as a statesman after weeks of saber-rattling with North Korea that seemed to put the U.S. on the brink of a nuclear conflict.

An NBC News/Marist poll released Sunday showed that voters in three key Midwestern states were concerned about Trumps foreign policy moves. Six in ten said the U.S.s role on the world stage has been weakened.

Trump assigned Vice President Mike Pence to lead the process of formulating a strategy for Afghanistan, according to a person familiar with the deliberations.

Pence organized and led meetings with military and national security advisers throughout August, and collected and analyzed information on the various scenarios, the person said.

As he traveled back from Latin America on Aug. 17, Pence continued to review the various options, which were weighed during the Camp David meeting the next day. Rather than backing a particular option, Pence played more of the role of an honest broker, making sure that Trump got an accurate, complete picture of the different scenarios, the person said.

Another unknown is what changes Trump plans for the Southern Asian part of the equation. That may reflect the view of Mattis and Tillerson that any solution for Afghanistan requires getting tough on neighboring Pakistan for sheltering the Taliban and other groups. Its not possible to separate the two, Mattis said last week.

Trumps speech was set for the same time that House Speaker Paul Ryan was due to hold a town-hall meeting on CNN to promote the Republican legislative agenda. CNN said it would postpone Ryans event until after Trumps speech.

With assistance by Toluse Olorunnipa, Shannon Pettypiece, and Sahil Kapur

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Trump's Afghanistan Speech Kicks Off Post-Bannon White House Era - Bloomberg