This month the GAO issued a report on Afghanistan reconstruction and it's not much better than that issued for Iraq. Management problems are virtually the same - "USAID lacked a comprehensive strategy to direct its efforts. USAID did not systematically collect information needed to assess the progress of its major projects...measures provided by the embassy to decision-makers in Washington did not comprehensively portray progress in each sector of the overall US program."
On this last point(poor reporting by the embassy), isn't our new ambassador in Iraq (Zalmay Khalid?) the same guy who led the embassy in Afghanistan? I hope he's read this report.
The report also pointed out the difficulties in planning when one is relying on a supplemental appropriation as we are doing in funding our wars. Not only is this an attempt to mask the true cost of these wars, but it also makes managing them harder.
Thus far, reconstruction has not done much to benefit Afghanistanis. They're still the fifth poorest country in the world. Half of them live below their poverty line. 20% don't get the minimum food they need daily. Perhaps, that's why opium production continues to rise.
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