Afghanistan: Get to know the big US corporations that have enriched themselves with the nation's war
It was the longest war in American history, but one of the most costly of wars.
The war in Afghanistan, which ended on August 30 this year after US forces left Kabul, has cost the United States $ 2.3 billion, according to Brown University on Rhode Island.
The return of power to the Taliban in Afghanistan and the departure of US forces from the country is seen by many analysts as a sign that it is a war that has not been successful.
For many, it seemed like an unsuccessful war, but for others, it was an opportunity to make a big profit.
Of the $ 2.3 trillion spent on the war between 2001 and 2021, nearly $ 1.05 trillion went to support the operation and operations of the US defense force in Afghanistan.
Most of the money was used to pay for the services of private companies that supported US operations in Afghanistan.
"The war had very few U.S. forces - all volunteers - added as military contractors. In general, there were twice as many US military personnel," says Linda Bilmes, a professor at Harvard University.
"Because of the presence of a lot of work to be done, it meant that some workers were helping to put fuel on planes, to drive big cars, to cook, to clean, to drive helicopters, and to transport various items. Others were used to build military camps, small airports and airports. . ", he added.
Five companies paid a lot of money
Hundreds of companies from the United States and outside the United States obtained contracts to work with the US Army for various services to the army in Afghanistan, including billions of dollars.
Although there is no list showing which companies have been paid the most, Professor Heidi Peltier, from the University of Boston - tells the BBC his estimates. These estimates include information available on the government website
Companies that had major contracts in Afghanistan
• $ 14.4 billion Dyncorp International
• $ 13.5 billion Fluor Corporation
• $ 3.6 billion Kellogg Brown Root (KBR)
• $ 2.5 billion Raytheon Technologies
• $ 1.2 billion Aegis LLC
"These figures are for the period between 2008-2021, although some of the contracts included may be back to 2008, so accurate data could be more than that if we had all the information from 2001.
According to their estimates, the three US companies that have secured lucrative contracts in Afghanistan were Dyncorp, Fluor, and Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR).
According to Peltier, Dyncorp - won a $ 14.4 billion contract.
"Since 2002, Dyncorp has been working shoulder to shoulder with the government and its partners in Afghanistan. We provide a range of services," a company spokesman told the BBC.
He added that it was because the private company could not provide further details about their contract with the US Army and how much money they had earned.
Fluor, a Texas-based company, was responsible for building U.S. military bases in Southern Afghanistan.
According to the company's website, it was involved in helping more than 100,000 soldiers and serving by providing food for more than 191,000 people a day.
In total, Fluor Corporation secured a $ 13.5 billion contract
Kellogg Brown Root (KBR), for its part, was involved in engineering and logistics issues to support US forces in terms of accommodation, food, and other basic services.
According to Peltier estimates, KBR signed a $ 3.6 billion contract.
The fourth company was Raytheon, one of the largest companies One of the largest US aviation and defense companies, which won a $ 2.5 billion bid.
Aegis LLC, a Virginia-based security company, was the fifth-largest paid company with military operations in Afghanistan, securing a $ 1.2 billion contract.
One of his main responsibilities was to provide security services to the US embassy in Kabul.
BBC Mundo also contacted them to inquire about their responsibilities, but until we published this report, they had not responded.
How about Defense companies?
Experts have told the BBC that they agree that major US defense companies such as Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman also benefited greatly from the Afghan war.
"It's made a lot of money from the war," says Linda Bilmes.
It is difficult to determine how much money these companies have earned because they were not directly involved in the operations in Afghanistan.
"They all got agreements to make things that were used by the United States in Afghanistan," Peltier says.
It is estimated that between the 2001-2020 financial year, these companies together generated $ 2.1 trillion.
BBC Mundo also sent a request to these companies to find out how the Afghan war has benefited them but received no response until the time of publication
Boeing also developed the F-15 and F-18 fighter aircraft that Linda Bilmes describes as being the key to US military operations in Afghanistan.
But Boeing was not listed as a major contractor or Lockheed Martin, another major defense company in the United States, the manufacturer of Blackhawk helicopters, which are widely used in the country.
Experts point out that these defense companies are large and have made a lot of money by doing things that were not used directly in the war.
U.S. Army spokeswoman Jessica Maxwell has told the BBC that it is difficult to say how much money these five major security companies have received for their equipment and services used in the war in Afghanistan.
“It’s hard to get those estimates,” he said.
Non-competitive prices
Bilmes hints at something else during the war in Afghanistan that bidders had the right to set prices that they felt were appropriate for their services.
"Most contracts were offered without competition or with very little competition. This is because there were times when there was only one provider, but there were also not many large companies that could do the job we wanted. So they mentioned the price they wanted.
"The Department of Defense's policy was to provide jobs by competing bidders. Although many weapons systems were put in the tender, in reality, you often find only one company producing," added Bilmes.
Billions of dollars are also mentioned, it has been bribed during this war and there are times when the price of goods was deliberately raised.
"There were times when you could paint a building but you were paid 20 times the actual cost. There was a bribe and that's what I would call an air budget," he said.
The newspaper and the New York Times once reported that between 2008 and 2017, the US Department of Defense reported a $ 15.5 billion embezzlement alleged during the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan.
