Afghanistan

Afghan Warning

UPDATED 6:53 AM EDT, May 10, 2013 | BY Phillip Swarts

The chief U.S. watchdog in Afghanistan says he is deeply concerned about the ability of the Afghan military to take over security responsibility when U.S. troops withdraw next year and warned the country could once again become a safe haven for terrorists.

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UPDATED 22:37 PM EDT, May 6, 2013

Hospital Hardship?

Hospitals that Americans are building to serve local populations in Afghanistan may not be sustainable after U.S. troops leave the country in 2014, the chief U.S. watchdog for Afghan recontruction bluntly warns.

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UPDATED 16:47 PM EDT, May 2, 2013

Afghanistan's Barely Capable Army

The Afghan military is "marginally" capable of repelling attacks from the Islamist extremists who antagonize large parts of the country, according to an internal Pentagon assessment that raises red flags for President Obama's plan to withdraw the majority of US troops next year.

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UPDATED 7:01 AM EDT, April 16, 2013

Blazing Buildings

The chief U.S. watchdog in Afghanistan has taken the rare step of issuing a public warning about the safety of structures that Americans built for the Afghan military after the U.S. Army refused to replace flammable materials already linked to three fires.

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UPDATED 22:29 PM EDT, March 10, 2013

Burning Past Safety

Some troops serving in Afghanistan faced unnecessary increased risks to their safety because the Air Force poorly managed construction projects, an internal Defense Department investigation has found.

The Air Force Center for Engineering and Environment (AFCEE) wasted $36.9 million and put military personnel at Camps Bastion and Leatherneck at risk because they didn’t keep a close enough eye on the contractors hired to complete the tasks, the Pentagon inspector general reported.

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UPDATED 6:56 AM EST, February 18, 2013

U.S. Unwittingly Aiding Iran?

The government's chief watchdog for Afghanistan reconstruction is warning that U.S. fuel purchases in that country are so mismanaged that American money could be aiding Iran in violation of international sanctions.

"The United States could be the biggest violator of the oil embargo," Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko told lawmakers on Wednesday.  "We have no real controls in place.”

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UPDATED 6:19 AM EST, February 6, 2013

Not So Hot Breakfast

The Army has stopped serving cooked breakfasts to some of the U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan as part of its drawdown, a move that prompted troops to write home asking their families and friends to send care packages with cereal, breakfast bars and other foods.

The Army told the Washington Guardian the current cutbacks began Jan. 1, and affect about 2,700 soldiers deployed in forward operating bases in more remote areas of Afghanistan.

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