A congressional investigation says tens of millions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer funds are indirectly being paid to Afghan warlords, public officials and even the Taliban to ensure safe passage of U.S. supply convoys in Afghanistan.
A lengthy report released late Monday says eight Afghan-based private contractors working with the Defense Department through a $2.1 billion transportation contract are paying several thousand dollars per truck for guards.
The contract covers at least 70 percent of all goods and services used by U.S. forces.
Congressional investigators say trucking contractors raised the issue with military officials, but their concerns were never properly addressed.
The report was completed by the House of Representative’s national security subcommittee, which will hold hearings on the report Tuesday.
The U.S. military says it has begun investigating reports of corruption in Afghanistan, and has created a task force to determine the impact of its contracting processes on corruption.
