Over the last week, I have had the opportunity to read two articles – "The Forgotten War" by Ann Jones and "Afghanistan War Must End Immediately" by Iraq veteran Jayel Aheram – that accurately describe the tragic waste of American lives and money in Afghanistan.
Also this week, I had the opportunity to meet with Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko and several additional members of Congress. In his position as inspector general, Mr. Sopko has uncovered egregious incidents of waste of American taxpayer dollars and has reported a troubling lack of accountability for the money that our country continues to send to the Afghan government (See http://www.sigar.mil/ for reports). Despite these reports, our government’s expenditures have not been diminished, but have continued even while the government has shut down and American workers have been furloughed.
Where is the public outrage? It is time to demand an end to the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in Afghanistan. Too many lives have been lost and too many taxpayer dollars have already been spent to support Hamid Karzai’s corrupt regime. I encourage all readers who agree with this position to call their representatives and senators and urge them to join the effort to stop any further waste – so that we do not remain in Afghanistan for another 30 years.
Congressman Walter B. Jones is a Republican representing North Carolina’s third district. He wrote this article exclusively for Antiwar.com.
