Posted on 10/10/2016 8:04:06 PM PDT by Lorianne
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) is seeking information from the Pentagon on discrepancies found in the $68 billion in funding between 2002 and now.
SIGAR is particularly concerned about the apparent funding of "ghost soldiers" who do not actually exist. Higher ranking military personnel are claimed to have added names to lists of personnel who do not actually exist and then to have embezzled the salaries paid to them. The extent of the practice is not clear. The situation is complicated by the fact that many Afghan recruits just collect their first pay check and then disappear. A rough estimate is that there are tens of thousands of these "ghost soldiers'. In a letter to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter back in August, inspector general John Sopko wrote: "Persistent reports indicating discrepancies between the assigned force strength of the ANDSF and the actual number of personnel serving raise questions regarding whether the U.S. government is taking adequate steps to prevent taxpayer funds from being spent on so-called ‘ghost’ soldiers."
I've been to Afghanistan twice, so I know a little about this. And please don't think I'm excusing it.
The reason for this, so it's claimed, is because Afghanistan has no social safety net to take care of it's Police and Soldiers and their families.
So when an Afghan soldier gets killed, his wife and kids are screwed. No income.
The pay of the "phantom Soldiers" on the Afghan payroll goes to support these families.
That's just one use of the extra pay.
Of course there is massive corruption involved, too.
But this is one of the reasons for the books not balancing in Afghanistan.
Interesting, thanks for that information.
That’s the best kind of Afghan.
And the reason we’re still in Afghanistan is.....
Sure, but another article said that 2/3 of all the Afghan military salaries are going to “ghost” accounts. If so, the problem is insanely out of control. Something like 200K out of 320K soldiers’ payroll accounts may be fake, according to the other article (sorry don’t have link but it was posted on FR recently).
Sure, but another article said that 2/3 of all the Afghan military salaries are going to “ghost” accounts. If so, the problem is insanely out of control. Something like 200K out of 320K soldiers’ payroll accounts may be fake, according to the other article (sorry don’t have link but it was posted on FR recently).
Doesn't surprise me.
The place is out of control. We should have pulled out of there 10 years ago.
My brother has been over there the past 6 months and will get back to the USA in 3 weeks.
obammy’s whole federal gubmint is horse shit
Shades of South Vietnam; I hope your brother returns safely.
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