SIGAR: $29B of US Afghanistan Reconstruction Funds Completely Wasted

DID Press: The final report of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reveals that of the $144 billion the U.S. spent on rebuilding Afghanistan, roughly $29 billion was entirely wasted.

The 137-page report, the last issued before SIGAR’s closure, describes two decades of U.S. reconstruction efforts as “rife with waste, mismanagement, and failed projects.” Key findings highlight that billions of dollars went to initiatives that were either never completed or rendered functionally useless—ranging from obsolete aircraft purchases to power plants disconnected from the grid, unfinished roads, and quickly deteriorating infrastructure.

John Sopko, the former inspector general, emphasized that the problem was not a lack of funding but “over-spending in haste” in a country that lacked the capacity to absorb such investment. Much of the money flowed to domestic and foreign contractors linked to local power networks and warlords, exacerbating corruption, public mistrust, and dissatisfaction.

Repeated warnings about project inefficiencies were largely ignored, with U.S. officials reluctant to acknowledge failure. According to Sopko, a “desire to keep going” and avoid admitting mistakes played a central role in perpetuating these failed projects.

The report underscores the broader consequences of the 20-year U.S. war in Afghanistan: despite spending over $2 trillion, the campaign failed to achieve its stated goals and left Afghanistan facing deep humanitarian, economic, and political crises, while contributing to strategic erosion and significant debt for the United States.