The United States has provided $7.5 billion on counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan. Latest UNODC estimates are for an all-time high of opium-poppy cultivation. Pictured here men of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit walk through opium field in Afghanistan near Helmand Province ready for harvesting.
I received the following email communication from Alex Bronstein-Moffly, Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) regarding corruption of taxpayer funds in Afghanistan earmarked for reconstruction purposes.
The report also highlighted a UN finding that opium production in Afghanistan has reached an all time high despite $7.5 billion dollar taxpayer funded counter narcotic effort.
This is most troublesome since the Taliban insurgency is funded in part via the illegal trade in opium and heroin worldwide.
It should be noted that funds derived from the cultivation and illegal trade in opium in Afghanistan are used to pay insurgent fighters in cash and to pay for weapons, bomb making materials and munitions used against American forces.
It read as follows:
“UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
Today, SIGAR released its April 2014 Quarterly Report to Congress. The report highlights the threat corruption poses and provides an overview of the Afghanistan reconstruction effort. Since 2002, Congress has appropriated nearly $103.2 billion to rebuild Afghanistan — the most the United States has spent on reconstruction of any other nation.
–Page 19: The 20 audits, inspections, and other reports issued this quarter examined programs and projects worth about $31 billion.
–Page 68: Approximately $17.9 billion of appropriated funds remain for possible disbursement.
–Page 109: The United States has provided $7.5 billion on counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan. Latest UNODC estimates are for an all-time high of opium-poppy cultivation.
–Page ii: Afghan revenues in 2014 could cover as little as one-third of the country’s $7.5 billion budget.
Quarterly Report Page: http://www.sigar.mil/quarterlyreports/index.aspx?SSR=6
Full Quarterly Report (8MB): http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/2014-04-30qr.pdf
If you would like any additional information or have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to me or our Director.
Best,
Alex
Note: In 2003 I wrote Senator McCain the following letter which was ignored: