Report Details Billions Wasted in War Zones
Amid fears of a global economic recession, recent reports show that billions of dollars are fruitlessly being spent on war.
As much as $60 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds have gone to waste in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade.
The Commission on Wartime Contracting reports poor planning, corruption and fraud have contributed to the wasteful spending.
In a report to Congress, the commission cites numerous examples of waste like an Afghani agricultural program that cost the U.S $1 million a day.
The commission said government agencies should overhaul the way they award and manage contracts in war zones so they don’t repeat the mistakes made in Iraq and Afghanistan,
Among the report’s 15 recommendations are the creation of an inspector general to monitor contracting and the appointment of a senior government official to improve planning and coordination.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who co-sponsored legislation to establish the commission, said in a statement emailed Tuesday that “it is disgusting to think that nearly a third of the billions and billions we spent on contracting was wasted or used for fraud.”
The Associated Press reported earlier this month that U.S. military authorities in Kabul believe $360 million in U.S. tax dollars has ended up in the hands of people the American-led coalition has spent nearly a decade battling: the Taliban, criminals and power brokers with ties to both.
