A major US plan to build outposts for Afghan forces has been dogged by delays and shoddy management, jeopardizing plans to bolster the country’s army and police, a top official said on Monday.
The stark warning came from the outgoing inspector general for reconstruction in Afghanistan, Arnold Fields, who said the base-building effort was well off-course despite billions of dollars in funding.
Building is so behind schedule it is “questionable” if the work would be finished when US-led forces supposedly start winding down their mission in about two years time, Fields said.
NATO’s strategy in Afghanistan hinges on gradually handing over authority to Afghan forces through 2014, but the US and its allies face a daunting task trying to build up an army amid grinding poverty and years of war.
Appearing before the Commission on Wartime Contracting, Fields said the recruitment of Afghan soldiers and police was moving faster than the US$11.4 billion work to build barracks and bases.
“The projects are seriously behind schedule, making it doubtful that the construction efforts would keep pace with recruitment and training,” Fields said.
Of 884 bases scheduled to be finished next year for Afghan security forces, only 133 have been completed, said Fields, a retired marine major general.
He said 78 facilities were under construction, while work on 673 bases had not even started.
There was also no long-term plan for building the bases and no sign that the Afghan government had the finances or expertise to maintain the facilities in the future, he said.
“We feel that the lack of this [comprehensive] plan could result in buildings that are inadequate in order to meet the long-term or short-term needs of the security forces,” he said.
“We conclude that the US$11.4 billion is at risk if these matters are not promptly addressed,” he said.
Fields is due to step down next month as inspector general after being appointed in June 2008 by former US president George W. Bush to review reconstruction spending.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
RSS