Letter Inquiry: Oversight Bubbles Inquiry
Abstract
Since my appointment by the President over a year ago, I have been concerned about the impact of the coalition troop drawdown on security and the related implications for ensuring adequate oversight of the U.S.-funded reconstruction effort in Afghanistan. The recent attack at the Herat Consulate illustrates the dangerous environment we must all confront as we plan for the future. Therefore, I am writing to request information that will assist SIGAR as we consider the best approaches for carrying out our oversight mandate in Afghanistans changing security landscape, coordinating our efforts with other inspectors general, and ultimately helping the U.S. government mitigate the risks associated with shrinking oversight access. In the course of SIGARs work, U.S. officials have told us that it is often difficult for program and contracting staff to visit reconstruction sites in Afghanistan. SIGAR personnel have direct experience with this problem, having already encountered difficulty obtaining military escort to travel into contested areas. For example, earlier this year SIGAR was unable to visit infrastructure projects in northern Afghanistan valued at $72 million because they are located in areas that could not be reached by U.S. civilian employees. SIGAR is referring to these inaccessible reconstruction sites as areas outside of the oversight bubbles. The areas covered by these oversight bubbles are defined by the ability of the U.S. government to provide both adequate security and rapid emergency medical support to civilian employees traveling to the area.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 10, 2013
- Accession Number
- AD1140549
Entities
People
- John Sopko
Organizations
- Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction