Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, has introduced a bill he says will give “a full accounting of the human and financial costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Braley says the will would include information on the costs to treat soldiers who’ve been injured in those countries.
Braley says we know medical economists can tell us the life expectancy and the long-term costs of medical expenses will be, but those are not included in the costs of the war. Braley says over 40-thousand soldiers have been wounded and will spend the rest of their lives treating injuries like P-T-S-D, traumatic brain injury, severe burns and amputated limbs.
The congressman recently returned from a fact-finding mission to Afghanistan where he talked with the commander of the forces in Afghanistan. Braley says they did discuss the issue of whether a “no fly zone” should be implemented over Libya as rebels fight for control of the country.
Braley says it’s a very delicate and touchy situation right now and he says people who know more about it than he does seem to be conflicted about whether the no-fly zone is an appropriate strategy. He says he is continuing to educate himself about the issue and expects to be hearing more about it this week. Iowa currently has some 3,500 Iowa National Guard troops stationed in Afghanistan.