The U.S. Department of State failed to prove compliance with counterterrorism vetting requirements on nearly $300 million in awards to Afghan programs, according to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
The inspector general found that two of the Department’s branches – the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) – did not provide adequate documentation to demonstrate adherence to vetting procedures to prevent funding going to awardees with terrorist ties.
The big picture: A total of $293 million in awards may have been given out in breach of the vetting requirements due to these oversight lapses.
- INL only provided vetting documents for three out of 22 funding initiatives, attributing the missing materials to employee turnover and office closure.
- Similarly, DRL furnished documents for only three out of seven of its awards, raising concerns about compliance with basic procedures and risk evaluation before awarding funds.
What we’re watching: SIGAR recommended that Secretary of State Antony Blinken take immediate action to ensure the bureaus adhere to vetting procedures and address the associated risks to the Department’s spending.
