US watchdog offers bleak statistics for Afghan progress
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, file photo a member of the Afghan security forces stands guard near the site of two blasts in Kabul, Afghanistan. In its first report to the Trump administration, a U.S. watchdog issues a bleak report saying the Afghan government controls barely half the country, its security forces numbers are declining and drug production is on the rise, while eradication is down. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File) (The Associated Press)
A U.S. watchdog has issued a bleak report, its first to the Trump administration, saying the Afghan government controls barely half the country, its security forces numbers are declining and that drug production is on the rise while eradication is down.
The report by the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction says that the one bright spot is a noticeable drop in corruption when procuring goods and services.
The 269-page report was released on Wednesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}John Sopko, who came to SIGAR in 2012, noted that his latest quarterly report is the first since President Donald Trump took office earlier this month. He said it was a good opportunity for the new administration to reflect on the $117 billion Washington has invested in Afghanistan's reconstruction and security forces since 2002.