Washington(The COW News Digital)The United States spent trillions of dollars during its 20-year war and reconstruction effort in Afghanistan, yet failed to achieve its core objectives, according to a comprehensive new report released by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). The report raises serious questions about US policies, spending priorities, and the structural weaknesses of the Afghan state.
According to the findings, Washington’s decision to sideline the Afghan government during the Doha peace talks with the Taliban significantly undermined state institutions and accelerated the collapse of the political system. SIGAR noted that excluding Kabul from key negotiations weakened public confidence and eroded the legitimacy of Afghan authorities.
The report revealed that between 2002 and 2021, the United States allocated a total of $144.7 billion for Afghanistan’s reconstruction, of which $137.3 billion was actually spent. These expenditures exceeded the inflation-adjusted cost of the post-World War II Marshall Plan for Europe. Despite the massive investment, reconstruction goals were largely unmet, with corruption within successive Afghan governments identified as the primary obstacle.
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Beyond reconstruction, the United States spent an additional $763 billion on military operations in Afghanistan. Around $90 billion was directed toward building and sustaining Afghan security forces. However, the report concluded that these forces remained heavily dependent on foreign support and rapidly collapsed following the US withdrawal in 2021.
SIGAR uncovered widespread mismanagement within Afghan security institutions, including the presence of thousands of “ghost soldiers” and large-scale theft of fuel and other resources. The report stated that US-funded programs supplied Afghan forces with 147,000 vehicles, hundreds of thousands of weapons, and 162 aircraft. Nevertheless, military equipment worth an estimated $7.1 billion was left behind after the US exit.
International financial assistance was also examined. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank pledged $12.16 billion for Afghanistan, while $7.3 billion was spent on counter-narcotics programs with limited results. Stabilization initiatives costing $4.7 billion similarly failed to deliver sustainable outcomes.
The human cost of the war was substantial. More than 2,450 US troops were killed and over 20,700 wounded. Following the withdrawal, Washington allocated $14.2 billion to relocate Afghan refugees to the United States.
The report further disclosed that after the fall of Kabul, the US provided $3.83 billion in aid to the Taliban-led government over four years. In a single quarter in March 2025, $120 million was transferred. SIGAR noted that Taliban authorities continued to impose taxes and levies on aid-funded projects, raising concerns over accountability and oversight.
