Bad contracting may have turned deadly in counter-IED program

Bad contracting may have turned deadly in counter-IED program
Stars and Stripes
By Heath Druzin
Published: July 23, 2013

KABUL — Of all the dangers American troops face in Afghanistan, shoddy contracting is not one for which they have a battle drill.

But poor contract oversight, cited in several reports by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, has not only wasted money in Afghanistan; in one case, it may have led to the deaths of U.S. troops, according to the latest report.

The report released on Tuesday detailed fraud and negligence in the installation of grates to block insurgents from placing bombs in culverts running under roads.

“The loss of life because individuals were not doing their job is horrific and unacceptable,” Special Inspector General for Afghanistan John Sopko said in a statement. “This case shows so clearly that fraud can kill in Afghanistan. We will find out if contracting officers did not do their job and if that proves to be true and Americans have died, we will hold those individuals accountable.”
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