US Plans for Stability in Afghanistan Led to Instability: SIGAR
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR said in its recent report that America’s efforts for stability in Afghanistan has had opposite consequence.
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR said in its recent report that America’s efforts for stability in Afghanistan has had opposite consequence.
“Despite some efforts to stabilize insecure and contested areas in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2017, the program was mostly a failure,” SIGAR chief John F. Sopko said.
The U.S. poured nearly $5 billion into stabilizing Afghanistan, intending to clear territory, hold it, and then build institutions. But these efforts have had opposite consequence in some areas and even deteriorated the situation, the SIGAR report said.
According to the report, The White House set itself an unrealistic goal for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
The United States has had exaggerated thought about Afghanistan’s ability to rebuild and reform its government institutions, the report added. the report mentioned that security forces pressured aid groups to rebuild a school building, in a place where it is still under the threat of Taliban. This kind of attitude led to the failure of some development projects.
Sopko said in the report that the simultaneous timing of military operations with stabilization efforts was unrealistic. The military operations had an immediate but unstable outcome, while the stabilization process was timely. Unlike military achievements, the struggle to bring stability was difficult, and it requires regular attention and funding and equipping. In the case of Afghanistan, the security situation was changing before the stabilization projects gain ground.
The report has attempted to evaluate the US strategic goals in Afghanistan based on the amount of money it has spent and the achieved results.
The report concluded that America could not achieve its strategic goals in the field of bringing stability in Afghanistan.
