$1.1 Billion Aid Program Questioned
On the eleventh anniversary of 9/11, Defense Secretary Panetta calls on Americans to remember the troops who are fighting and dying in Afghanistan.
With so many policymakers conveniently forgetting the war in Afghanistan, Secretary Panetta’s reminder is welcome. Today, almost eleven years after the war began, there are some 77,000 still serving in Afghanistan.
Eleven years and $500 billion later, it’s not clear what threat Afghanistan poses that requires this continued expenditure.
Few would deny that dismantling al Qaeda was a worthy goal. But has the nation-building mission that this war turned into made us safer? Americans think the answer is no. According to a recent poll from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 51% of respondents said the war in Afghanistan had made no difference in the war on terror, with 18% saying the war made us less safe.
What does this imply about the $90 billion allocated for Afghanistan aid? Have those billions of taxpayer dollars been well-spent?
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction was established in 2008 to oversee the effectiveness of Afghan aid. Their reports are essential reading for anyone concerned about waste in government spending.
Most recently SIGAR has raised concerns about the $1.1. billion program to provide fuel for the Afghan National Army.
The interim SIGAR report found that The Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan [CSTC-A] does not have accurate or supportable information on how much in U.S. funds are needed for ANA fuel, where and how the fuel is used, or how much fuel has been lost or stolen.”
Despite serious questions about the program, CTSC-A plans to increase funding, from $466 million in 2013 to $555 million in 2014 and beyond.
With so little accountability, it’s no wonder this extraordinarily expensive war ($500 billion) has not made us safer. The only question is when policymakers will start reining in the out-of-control war budget.
