5 Key Takeaways From Newly
Released Afghanistan Documents.
The documents were obtained
by 'The Washington Post'
and revealed on Monday.
They are related to an investigation by
an obscure governmental department,
known as the Special Inspector General
for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
1. "The American people
have been constantly lied to.".
Though Washington officials have
depicted the war in Afghanistan as
successful, the reality is much more complex.
2. The Afghanistan War has
cost American taxpayers $2 trillion.
We were given money, told to spend it, and we did — without reason, Unidentified Official, 2016 Interview,
via 'The New York Times'.
3. Corruption is rampant.
The documents reveal that
skimming of funds by Afghan
officials has undermined U.S. strategy.
4. U.S. understanding of
the enemy has been blurry.
I have no visibility into who the bad guys are, Donald Rumsfeld, Former Defense Secretary,
via 'The New York Times'.
5. U.S. strategy of
nation-building was
ill-suited for Afghanistan.
Because Afghan culture is based
on Islamic law and tribalism, the
time frame of the installation of
American democracy was unrealistic