Business

Punish US Generals for Mismanaging Afghan War Funds, Says Inspector General

The Army failed to stop the construction of never-to-be-used $36 million command center.

Business

SIGAR Says $416M for Afghan Women Could Go To Waste

The inspector general for reconstruction in Afghanistan warns USAID may not be able to track more than $400 million in spending to promote the status of women.

Business

Now SIGAR Wants To Know How Big Afghanistan's Security Force Will Become

John Sopko has been merciless about the wake of wasteful spending the U.S. left behind in Afghanistan. Now he wants to know the U.S. plan for Afghan forces to come.

Science & Tech

Report Finds VA's Monitoring System Is Not Doing Its Job

The VA's inspector general found that a new system designed to keep close watch on the agency’s IT initiatives needs some monitoring of its own. By Hallie Golden

Business

Afghan Reconstruction Audits Saved More Than $1 Billion, Watchdog Says

The Defense Department has saved or repurposed $1.1 billion in taxpayer funds since 2008, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said Tuesday. By Charles S. Clark

Science & Tech

Did the Pentagon's Switch to the Cloud Actually Save Money?

The Defense Department's inspector general wants to know if its recent switch to cloud computing is paying off. By Frank Konkel

Business

Nearly $1 Billion Spent To Elevate Afghan Women May Have Been Squandered

Neither the State Department nor USAID could identify any results from the $850 million spent to improve the lives of women in Afghanistan. By Charles S. Clark

Business

7 Ways the $104 Billion Reconstruction Effort in Afghanistan Could Fail

Corruption leads the list of ‘potent threats’ to Afghanistan’s post-war future—but it’s far from the only challenge. By Ben Watson

Threats

Corruption in Afghanistan Is Getting 'Significantly Worse'

The top watchdog for reconstruction in Afghanistan says it 'seems like nobody is responsible for anything.' By Jordain Carney

Business

After $18M, US Halts Work on Half-Renovated Prison in Afghanistan

The State Department paid a contractor $18 million to renovate the aging facility, but canceled the contract with only half of the work completed. By Charles Clark

Business

Afghanistan's Opium Trade Is at an All-Time High

After nearly a decade and $7.6 billion to eradicate Afghanistan's poppy fields, farmers grew an unprecedented 209,000 hectares of opium last year. By Charles S. Clark​

Business

The Pentagon Scrapped $500 Million Worth of Afghan Planes for Pennies on the Dollar

Officials from the Defense Logistics Agency destroyed the planes after Afghan military personnel proved unable to service the vehicles. By Katherine Peters

Business

Afghanistan's Reconstruction Future Looks Very Bleak, IG Warns

The IG for Afghanistan reconstruction says the financial and operational burdens of rebuilding that nation are still well beyond anything Kabul can manage by itself. By Charles S. Clark

Science & Tech

Pentagon Satellite Maker Ignoring 'Thousands' of Major Cyber Vulnerabilities

Raytheon blasted for ignoring 'high-risk' vulnerabilities to weather satellites shared by government agencies. By Aliya Sternstein

Business

The VA Scandal Just Keeps Spreading

Add hidden documents, improperly-processed disability claims, and at least six new offices under scrutiny to the already long list of problems facing the Department of Veterans Affairs. By Jordain Carney

Business

The VA Paid More Than $40 Million in Improper Claims Last Year

For 2 months in 2013, the Veterans Benefits Administration hurried to eliminate its disability claim backlog. That rush resulted in many costly mistakes. By Bob Brewin

Threats

Afghanistan Needs More Than U.S. Troops to Survive

While the U.S. waits for Afghanistan to sign a post-2014 troop deal, a new report shows the war-torn nation is going to need a lot more than that. By Stephanie Gaskell

Business

CIA Accused of Spying on Senate Intelligence Committee

The CIA's inspector general, is reviewing whether CIA agents hacked into the computers of Senate staffers. By Brendan Sasso

Threats

The Looming Narco-State in Afghanistan

Afghan farmers are growing more opium today than at any time in recent memory, according to America’s watchdog in the country. By D. B. Grady

Business

U.S. Troops Exposed to Afghan Burn Pits After $5.4 Million Incinerators Fail

A new watchdog report says that troops at a forward operating base in Afghanistan were put at risk because solid waste burned in open-air. By Charles Clark