In the lead up to the Afghan presidential election, there’s been a growing number of stories about whether the vote will be fair, as well coverage about how the ongoing U.S. involvement in conflicts abroad affects our own economy.

When it comes to the impact the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are having on the U.S. economy, Paul Solman at The NewsHour’s Business Desk astutely argues both sides of the coin:

“The wars have certainly hurt the economy of the moment by running up both oil prices and the deficit. A higher deficit arguably drove long-term interest rates higher than they otherwise would have gone. … But once the economy tanked, military spending was a source of consumption at a time when both families and businesses had cut back drastically. Who’s to say the economic crisis mightn’t have been worse without our current wars?”

But will those investments continue? World Focus takes a closer look at the U.S.’ continuing involvement in Afghanistan.

NewsTrust.net has been asking readers to analyze coverage of Afghanistan and pick out the most trustworthy reports from the region, in coordination with Thirteen/WNET‘s WorldFocus.

For more news from Afghanistan, you can follow the coverage from Kabul with NPR Morning Edition host Renee Montagne, who’s been in Afghanistan for weeks following the election story.