Audit finds Afghans incompetent to secure country after foreign troop pullout

Washington, DC, United States (4E) – A U.S. government audit on Afghanistan’s security forces indicate that local troops and police are incompetent to secure the country after the pullout of foreign forces in the country in 2014.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which monitors spending of NATO funds for the country, revealed its finding in a report issued Wednesday. The SIGAR report warned that the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) is unlikely to run and maintain vital facilities for its operation due to inadequate and illiterate soldiers.

AFNS soldiers and contractors cannot read manuals and blueprints to operate power and wastewater plants, according to the report titled, “Afghan National Security Forces Facilities: Concerns With Funding, Oversight, And Sustainability For Operation And Maintenance.”

The report also found that Afghan soldiers and contractors could not handle administrative works, budgeting, purchasing, and logistics systems. Contractors who were paid to train Afghans to take over administrative tasks by 2014 already used up funds for the purpose, the report said.

Last year, NATO spent $800 million on supporting operations and maintenance services, including training of Afghan government officials.

Defense Department spokesman Cmdr. Bill Speaks said the Pentagon will make the necessary adjustments in training AFNS personnel so they can maintain facilities after 2014.

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