WASTE

U.S. Lost $360M in Afghanistan: Report

Had been intended to be used for combat and reconstruction.

A report by a task force released Tuesday claims the U.S. military has lost some $360 million in Afghanistan—money intended for combat and reconstruction that instead went to the Taliban, criminals, and local leaders. The task force assembled last year by Gen. David Petraeus, who until July headed up the allied command in Afghanistan, tallied the total number, and the Associated Press obtained details of the report on Tuesday. The report says the U.S. did business with companies and subcontractors who in turn employed and did business with “malign actors”—insurgents and criminals—in a process that the military says amounted to “reverse money laundering.” Only a small percentage of the $360 million went directly to the Taliban, with the bulk of it going to bribery, profiteering, and extortion. Overall, the U.S. has spent $31 billion on reconstruction in Afghanistan.