Pentagon chided over 'imprudent spending' on Afghan gem industry

Pentagon chided over 'imprudent spending' on Afghan gem industry | TheHill

SIGAR received information that the task force sent Afghan jewelers to gem training programs in India, Paris and Milan, Sopko said.

“Despite these expenditures, it is not clear to me that the gem industry programs produced any positive and lasting economic development or increased employment in Afghanistan,” he wrote to Hagel.

SIGAR is now asking the Pentagon to provide the names of officials who oversaw the task force’s spending and approved the programs.