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Afghanistan occupation mired in corruption, waste and unrealistic goals: SIGAR
SIGAR says its investigations led to 171 criminal convictions, though some suspects were declared off-limits because of ties to US intelligence agencies.
A new watchdog report has concluded that the United States’ 20-year effort to build a democratic Afghanistan was doomed by corruption, mismanagement and wildly unrealistic aims — with as much as $29.2 billion lost to waste, fraud and abuse.
The assessment, released on December 3 by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), caps a 17-year investigation into the US-led mission. It found that Washington built an Afghan government and security sector so riddled with graft that it collapsed within days of the 2021 US withdrawal.
SIGAR officials said successive US administrations ignored corruption for more than a decade, allowing contractors and officials — Afghan and American — to siphon off billions. Investigators logged 1,327 cases of misconduct and detailed hundreds of millions wasted on unused aircraft, empty buildings and failed infrastructure.
“The government we created was essentially a white-collar criminal enterprise,” acting inspector general Gene Aloise told reporters.
The report also found the US worked with Afghan warlords accused of serious human rights abuses and tolerated practices such as the sexual exploitation of boys by allied militias.
Legacy resurfaced after Washington shooting
The failures of the occupation have re-entered public debate after a former Afghan special forces member — who worked with CIA-run units — was charged with shooting two National Guardsmen near the White House, killing one. The suspect reportedly suffered severe trauma linked to his wartime service.
In response, US President Donald Trump further tightened asylum rules for Afghans and several other nationalities — a move criticised by rights groups and veterans who say it unfairly punishes former allies.
Billions spent, little achieved
Congress allocated $144.7 billion for reconstruction, more than the inflation-adjusted cost of the post-WWII Marshall Plan. Of that, $38.6 billion funded weapons, vehicles and facilities for Afghan forces, much of which is now in Afghanistan. The US left behind around $7.1 billion in equipment during the withdrawal.
SIGAR says its investigations led to 171 criminal convictions, though some suspects were declared off-limits because of ties to US intelligence agencies.
Aloise also criticised a “lack of cooperation” from officials — particularly under the Biden administration — saying investigators were at one point effectively blocked from accessing information.
More than 2,320 US troops, 69,000 Afghan security personnel and 46,000 civilians were killed during the 20-year war, according to the Costs of War Project at Brown University.
“The cost was much higher than just money,” Aloise said.
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UNAMA calls for greater transparency and accountability in Afghanistan’s security institutions
The report also says fear of reprisals, a lack of trust in authorities and barriers to accessing institutions discourage people from reporting alleged misconduct.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to strengthen transparency, oversight and accountability within the country’s security institutions.
In a new 38-page report, UNAMA examines measures taken by the IEA since August 2021 to oversee security institutions and address misconduct by security personnel.
The report says the authorities have taken some steps to promote discipline and oversight, including issuing directives, establishing internal monitoring units and creating new bodies tasked with addressing misconduct by security personnel.
However, UNAMA says these measures have not been accompanied by sufficient public information about complaints, investigations and disciplinary or judicial actions.
The report identifies several bodies responsible for oversight, including the Security and Filtration Commission, the High Directorate of Supervision and Monitoring of Decrees and Edicts, the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Commission for Hearing Complaints, and the Supreme Court.
“The limited amount of public information on complaints received, investigations conducted, and disciplinary or judicial actions taken by relevant de facto bodies undermine confidence and weaken deterrence,” said Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge.
UNAMA documented cases in which IEA authorities arrested and investigated security personnel accused of misconduct and referred some cases to military courts. However, the mission said many complaints reportedly remain unresolved.
The report also says fear of reprisals, a lack of trust in authorities and barriers to accessing institutions discourage people from reporting alleged misconduct. Women, in particular, face additional obstacles because of restrictions affecting their daily lives, UNAMA said.
UNAMA has recommended that the IEA authorities establish and consistently enforce clear rules and codes of conduct for security personnel, in line with international standards. It also called for clearer regulations governing the use of force, arrests, detention, searches and crowd control.
The UN mission further urged the authorities to establish safe, accessible and inclusive complaint mechanisms that allow people to report misconduct without fear of retaliation or discrimination, while protecting victims, witnesses and whistleblowers.
UNAMA also called for regular public reporting on complaints, investigations and disciplinary or judicial measures, as well as stronger systems for collecting and maintaining data on misconduct.
According to the report, greater transparency and consistent accountability could improve professionalism, strengthen public trust in security institutions and contribute to better governance, respect for human rights and Afghanistan’s engagement with the international community.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs has announced that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the purchase of gas under the TAPI project was signed on Monday in Torghundi, Herat province, between the state-owned Afghan Gas Company and
Turkmenistan’s Türkmengaz Company, in the presence of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the National Leader of Turkmenistan.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, the MoU will determine the price of gas, the required volume of gas, and the gas distribution process.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, during his visit to Herat province, met with Turkmenistan’s National Leader, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, in Torghundi on Monday to discuss the latest progress on the TAPI project and future economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.
According to a statement from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Baradar said during the meeting that work on the TAPI project in Herat is progressing well and that the remaining work is expected to be completed within the scheduled timeframe.
Baradar urged the Turkmen side to reach an agreement on the price of gas and called for the gas pricing formula to be adjusted in a way that would prevent sharp fluctuations in European markets from affecting gas prices.
He also proposed that the gas agreement be concluded for a long-term period, with simple terms and a flexible mechanism for reviewing the contract.
Baradar called for Turkmenistan’s cooperation in constructing a gas distribution and consumption network in Herat, establishing a joint technical and legal commission to address the remaining issues related to the TAPI project, and making joint efforts to create more job opportunities for Afghans through the project.
He said the TAPI project has strengthened strategic cooperation between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and stressed the need for the two sides to work together to expand trade by reopening the Aqina border crossing for oil transit, facilitating Afghan transit goods at the Turkmenbashi port, resolving existing obstacles to the reactivation of the Lapis Lazuli Corridor, and rebuilding and expanding the Herat–Torghundi railway.
Baradar also called on Turkmenistan to support major economic projects in Afghanistan in the electricity and transport sectors.
During the meeting, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said relations between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan have been strengthened on the basis of goodwill and good-neighborly relations, creating opportunities for cooperation in various fields.
Berd Berdimuhamedov added that Turkmenistan is ready to cooperate not only on extending the TAPI pipeline to Herat, but also on constructing a gas distribution network in the province and launching practical work on the TAP project. He said a number of foreign companies have expressed readiness to invest in the TAP project.
He further said Ashgabat is ready to provide all necessary facilities at Turkmenbashi port for Afghan transit and commercial goods.
He also stressed the need for joint efforts to reactivate the Lapis Lazuli Corridor to boost trade between the two countries and the wider region.
He assured the Afghan side that work on projects already launched in Afghanistan’s electricity and railway sectors would be completed on schedule and at an accelerated pace.
At the end of the meeting, the two sides agreed to establish a technical committee led by senior officials to follow up on and implement the TAPI, TAP, fiber-optic and railway projects and ensure that work on these projects progresses more effectively.
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