WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- The American public is shocked by predicted U.S. troop casualties in Afghanistan, through reflections are based on ground conditions, a retired general said.
Retired U.S. Gen. Barry McCaffrey in an independent assessment on the U.S. military commitment in Afghanistan gave a dour prediction in terms of expected casualties.
"What I want to do is signal that this thing is going to be $5 billion to $10 billion a month and 300 to 500 killed and wounded a month by next summer," he warned.
U.S. President Barack Obama in December ordered another 30,000 American troops to Afghanistan, with the bulk expected to deploy over the course of the year.
The Army Times said its review of troop casualties in Afghanistan in 2009 found October to be the deadliest month with 50 combat fatalities. September saw more than 450 wounded Americans.
McCaffrey said U.S. commanders can expect troop casualties to soar when the fighting seasons gets under way in Afghanistan after the winter thaw.
McCaffrey, who serves as an independent military analyst and adjunct instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said that while his predictions were alarming, they were based on the situation on the ground.
"People are shocked when I add the numbers up," he said.
