Afghan Collapse Follows Expensive, Mistake-Riddled US Reconstruction Effort: Watchdog

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

The collapse of the Afghan government followed a mistake-riddled U.S. mission to reconstruct the country after invading in 2001 shortly after 9/11, a watchdog said Tuesday.

โ€œIf the goal was to rebuild and leave behind a country that can sustain itself and pose little threat to U.S. national security interests, the overall picture is bleak,โ€ John Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), wrote in the 140-page report (pdf).

Sopkoโ€™s team performed more than 760 interviews and reviewed thousands of government documents to produce the report, as part of a body of work that included criminal investigations that led to 160 convictions.

The United States spent $145 billion trying to rebuild Afghanistan and its institutions while the Department of Defense spent an additional $837 billion on the war there since U.S. troops landed in October 2001.

U.S. goals included eliminating al-Qaeda, decimating the Taliban, building Afghan security forces, and helping the civilian government become legitimate. But apart from several areas of improvement, such as raising rates of education, โ€œoverall progress has been elusive and the prospects for sustaining this progress are dubious,โ€ Sopko said.

President Joe Biden ordered the full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan this year. As troops withdrew this month, the Taliban rapidly captured key areas of the country. The terrorist group took the presidential palace in Kabul over the weekend and declared Afghanistan an Islamic emirate.

U.S. leaders were caught off guard by the takeover, rushing to evacuate the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and Afghans who helped the United States during the 20-year war.

Biden appeared Mondayย to defend his decisionย and blame a host of others, including former President Donald Trump, who set into motion the withdrawal. โ€œThis did unfold more quickly than we anticipated,โ€ he said in a short speech in Washington.

The botched withdrawal is part of a pattern, according to the SIGAR report. For instance, the U.S. โ€œgovernment consistently underestimated the amount of time required to rebuild Afghanistan and created unrealistic timelines and expectations that prioritized spending quickly,โ€ the office found. That led to increased corruption and undermined the effectiveness of various programs.

โ€œThe U.S. government did not understand the Afghan context and therefore failed to tailor its efforts accordingly,โ€ Sopko also said.

โ€œWe were devoid of a fundamental understanding of Afghanistan,โ€ Douglas Lute, who coordinated Afghanistan strategy at the National Security Council from 2007 to 2013, told the SIGAR. โ€œWe didnโ€™t know what we were doing.โ€

Byย Zachary Stieber

Read Original Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

AI: A Double-Edged Sword?

AI produces innovation, revolutionizing industries from education to entertainment, yet AI tools also cause a gradual decline in human cognitive skills.

Why is the Epstein Victim List Longer than the Client List?

Bondi said her responsibility is to protect identities of underage girls sexually abused by Epstein, but a good number of victims have come forward.

Stirring the gravy

โ€œYou might be a Pennsylvanian-Italian if you claim Italian ancestry and participated in San Marziale festivities at Holy Angels Church in Kulpmont, PA.

Flood of Lies

The tragedy still unfolding after the historic Texas floods should be cause for unity, but Democrats weaponize the catastrophe for themselves.

Now Lawyers Are Looking for the Epstein List, Too!

So it turns out that when FBI Director Kash...

A Year After Trump Rally Shooting, Town Still Seeks Healing, Answers

A western PA community has rallied around the family of Corey Comperatore who was fatally shot when a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally.

5 States Discussing Plans to Build Prisons Like โ€˜Alligator Alcatrazโ€™: Noem

Homeland Security Sec Kristi Noem said five Republican-led states were discussing plans to build detention sites similar to Floridaโ€™s โ€œAlligator Alcatraz.โ€

Wyoming Opens Dual Mine: Coal for Power, Rare Earths for Everything Else

Brook Mine will be the first new coal mine to open in Wyoming in 50 years and first critical mineral and rare earth mine to open in the US in 70 years.

Los Angeles Mayor Signs Order Reaffirming Sanctuary City Policy, Proposes Cash Aid to Illegal Immigrants

LA Mayor Karen Bass has issued an executive directive reaffirming the cityโ€™s self-proclaimed sanctuary status in response to ongoing ICE operations.

EU Wonโ€™t Retaliate to Trumpโ€™s 30 Percent Tariff, Countermeasures on Hold Until August

EC President Ursula von der Leyen said EU will extend suspension on countermeasures to U.S. tariffs until next month while trade negotiations continue.

Trump Announces 30 Percent Tariff on EU, Mexico

President Donald Trump has announced a 30 percent tariff on imports from the European Union and Mexico, to go into effect on Aug. 1, 2025.

Tariff Windfall Drives Surprise $27 Billion US Budget Surplus in June

New data from Treasury Dept show that surging tariff revenues in June helped U.S. government post an unexpected budget surplus of $27 billion.

State Department Says Reorganization Plan to Move Ahead Quickly After Supreme Court Ruling

State Dept to reorganize plans following Supreme Court's allowing Trump admin to proceed with layoffs of fed workers and overhaul of federal agencies.
spot_img

Related Articles