"We cannot just throw money at a country like this and expect it to have a good ending.”

That's what Senator Claire McCaskill says about our reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.  And the latest report from the Inspector General backs her up: “Implementing projects that the Afghan government is unable to sustain may be counter­productive” to the U.S. counterinsurgency mission, the inspector general wrote. “If goals are set and not achieved, both the U.S. and Afghan governments can lose the populace’s support.”

The IG looked at many projects being funded by the Afghan Infrastructure Fund, which has almost $2 billion to bring Afghanistan close to the 21st century.  The report looks primarily at roads and power generation projects and it finds them woefully late and questions their efficacy.  Furthermore, there is considerable doubt as to whether Afghanistan can maintain these projects when we leave.

Are we wasting money while increasing the odds of another country that feels we have made matters worse there?