July 20, 2011

Manchin Statement on Report that U.S. Funds are Going to Afghan Extremists

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) issued the following statement about an audit from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction detailing major abuses of U.S taxpayer dollars in Afghanistan. 

“The idea that U.S. taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars could be siphoned off to fund the very extremists who are killing our troops just makes me sick to my stomach. It is unbelievable to imagine that as much as $10 million a day – that’s more than $3.6 billion a year – in cash is being stolen. Just imagine how much good our billions would do for our veterans back home, our seniors, our schools – not just in West Virginia but in this entire nation,” Senator Manchin said. “This is just another outrageous example that confirms my deep concerns about corruption in Afghanistan. Now more than ever, I truly believe it is time to refocus on rebuilding America, not Afghanistan.” 

Background: 

According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, efforts “to safeguard U.S. cash entering the Afghan economy and to develop the Afghan financial sector have been hampered by limited interagency coordination, inconsistent Afghan cooperation and insufficient cash controls.” 

The audit also found that “U.S. agencies have limited visibility over U.S. cash that enters the Afghan economy – leaving it vulnerable to fraud and diversion to the insurgency. SIGAR also found that poor cooperation by the Afghan government has impeded U.S. efforts to help develop the Afghan financial sector.”

A link to the report is available here: http://www.sigar.mil/PressRelease20JULY2011.asp 

###