WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- A U.S. government watchdog has submitted its 68th and final report to Congress on Afghanistan, highlighting widespread corruption, mismanagement, and the impact of aid cuts during the Trump administration’s tenure. 
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), established in 2008, released the report on July 30, two weeks ahead of the Taliban’s fourth anniversary of regaining power.
The 99-page report documents failures in the U.S.-backed Afghan government, including instances where projects were misused or neglected. For example, buildings in five Afghan border police facilities, valued at $26 million, were either left dry or repurposed—one was reportedly used as a chicken coop.
Security analyst Orzala Nemat described the end of SIGAR’s reporting as a “huge loss,” emphasizing the agency’s role in revealing misuse of resources despite political resistance. Veteran Afghanistan expert Thomas Ruttig said the reports provided a clear record of what went wrong, noting that political leaders often ignored the warnings.
The report also details the suspension of U.S. foreign aid to Afghanistan under President Donald Trump, which began in April 2020. It criticizes the lack of transparency around aid cuts and the impact on vulnerable populations. The report notes conflicting accounts regarding Taliban seizure of USAID assets after aid suspension, with some U.S. offices denying any Taliban demands for equipment or data.
Trump’s administration sought the return of military equipment left behind after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, calling Afghanistan “one of the biggest sellers of military equipment in the world.”
SIGAR will close in September but plans to issue a final report outlining lessons from Afghanistan and other conflict zones to inform future aid missions in undemocratic states.