{"id":10577,"date":"2023-04-28T03:13:55","date_gmt":"2023-04-28T08:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/?p=10577"},"modified":"2023-04-28T03:14:01","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T08:14:01","slug":"watchdog-report-faults-pentagon-for-problems-that-led-to-2021-collapse-of-afghan-security-forces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ustower.net\/?p=10577","title":{"rendered":"Watchdog report faults Pentagon for problems that led to 2021 collapse of Afghan security forces"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A new report by an independent U.S. watchdog<\/a> agency says the Department of Defense contributed to the sudden collapse of the Afghan<\/a> security forces in August 2021 partly due to poor planning and lack of accountability over at least some of the billions of dollars in weapons and equipment it provided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new report by SIGAR, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan<\/a> Reconstruction, also said the Pentagon did not cooperate fully with its investigation. And it disclosed that American troops left behind a total of $7.2 billion in aircraft, missiles, communications gear and other military equipment for the Taliban<\/a> to potentially use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That included at least 78 aircraft worth $923.3 million, 9,524 air-to-ground munitions valued at $6.54 million, over 40,000 vehicles, more than 300,000 weapons, and nearly all night vision, surveillance, communications, and biometric equipment provided to the ANDSF were left behind, SIGAR said, citing a March 2022 Pentagon report to Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report, mandated by Congress after the sudden fall of Kabul when US forces left the country, said the State Department  was also unresponsive to some of its requests for information to help it figure out why the U.S.-funded Afghan military crumbled so quickly, allowing the Taliban to take over the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In their official responses, the Pentagon and State Department disputed at least some of the findings, and said they did cooperate with SIGAR\u2019s investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Department of Defense spokesman, Army Lt. Col. Rob Lodewick, told USA TODAY on Monday that the Pentagon was \u201cobviously well aware of the report and its scope, and we contributed to it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe continually and historically contribute to and facilitate SIGAR\u2019s work,\u201d Lodewick told USA TODAY, \u201cand we will continue to do so moving forward for security and defense matters.\u201d He noted that SIGAR \u201cechoes that in its opening pages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What were the report\u2019s key findings?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since 2002, SIGAR said, the United States has allocated nearly $90 billion in security assistance to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), with the goal of developing an independent, self-sustaining force capable of combating both internal and external threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the ANDSF collapse of 2021, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the House Armed Services Committee directed SIGAR to find out what happened, and to provide an accounting of all U.S.-provided equipment to Afghan forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the new report, it provides numerous details of what it says were lapses in oversight, bad planning and other shortcomings on the part of the U.S. military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among those U.S. shortcomings:    <\/p>\n\n\n\n