The Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has announced it will cease operations by the end of this month. Established by Congress in 2008, SIGAR was responsible for auditing the massive expenditure of over $148 billion allocated for rebuilding projects during the US engagement in Afghanistan.

In its final assessments, the watchdog highlighted that billions were lost to waste and corruption. Notably, the agency reported that approximately $7.1 billion worth of US-funded military equipment was left behind during the 2021 withdrawal, falling into Taliban hands. The closure marks the end of official US oversight on these funds.

Following the shutdown, the SIGAR website will go offline, with its extensive database of reports being archived at the University of North Texas’s “Cyber Cemetery.” This move signifies the final chapter of American accountability mechanisms regarding its two-decade-long financial involvement in the Afghan conflict.

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