Afghanistan to Cost More Than Marshall Plan, Watchdog Says and SIGAR Report Link

Afghanistan to Cost More Than Marshall Plan, Watchdog Says by Josh Smith, Stars and Stripes

By the time its combat troops depart at the end of 2014, the United States will have appropriated more money trying to fix Afghanistan than it did on the Marshall Plan that helped Europe recover economically after World War II, according to an analysis by a government watchdog.

The comparison in the latest quarterly report of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction draws attention to the mixed results of U.S. investments in Afghanistan — $104 billion appropriated since 2002 — versus the success of the Marshall Plan, which is credited with helping to spur the economic revival of Western Europe…

Read on.

Via the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction:

Today, SIGAR released its July 2014 Quarterly Report to Congress.

The report highlights, among many things:

--Total appropriations for Afghanistan reconstruction are about $104.1 billion, with $5.8 billion requested for 2015. About $16 billion, of the money already appropriated, has yet to be spent. (page 70)

--The sustainability of the reconstruction effort, and the key issue of Afghan governments revenues compared to the cost of the government.  The U.S. and donors fund more than 60% of the Afghan national budget. (page 3)

--Less than 20% of Afghanistan is expected to be accessible to civilian U.S. oversight personnel by December 2014, a 50% decrease since 2009. (page 19)

--The 30 reports issued this quarter examined programs & projects worth about $18.2 billion.  Most uncovered poor planning, shoddy construction, mechanical failures, and inadequate oversight. (page ii)

--The Army's refusal to suspend or debar supporters of the insurgency from receiving government contracts. (page iii)

--U.S. has spent $7.6 billion on counternarcotics efforts. The UN notes that for the third consecutive year, Afghanistan, saw an increase in opium cultivation. According to DOD, the drawdown has hurt the Afghan counternarcotics agencies. (page 112)

--Transition of Afghan Public Protection Force responsibilities leaves project security uncertain. (page 90)

--Women in the Afghan security forces. (page 105 & 110)

--SIGAR concerns with Afghanistan education statistics. (page 181)

--SIGAR concerns with Afghanistan health statistics. (page 183)

Report: http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/2014-07-30qr.pdf

Report by Section: http://www.sigar.mil/quarterlyreports/index.aspx?SSR=6