Pentagon Task Force Spent $150 Million On Private Villas In Afghanistan

A Defense Department business task force in Afghanistan is under fire for allegedly spending $150 million on luxury villas, like this one, and gourmet meals. The task force has spent a total of $800 million. Photo from Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction/Flickr

David Axe, Daily Beast: Pentagon Crew Lived Large in $150 Million Afghan Villas

Forget barracks or fox holes. The members of this Defense Department task force slept in queen-size beds and ate three-star meals.

A Pentagon task force established in 2006 to help lure private businesses first to Iraq and then Afghanistan allegedly blew as much as $150 million on lavish villas in Afghanistan for a few lucky members of its staff—instead of lodging them cheaply, or for free, at the U.S. embassy or any one of numerous large American military bases in the war-torn country.

The alleged waste by the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, first described in a five-page Nov. 25 letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter from John Sopko, from the military’s special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, or SIGAR, should come as no surprise. TFBSO, as it’s known inside the Pentagon, has long attracted criticism for apparently wasteful spending and other abuses.

More News On Wasteful Spwending In Afghanistan

Watchdog probing allegations the Pentagon spent $150 million on private villas and 3-star dining in Afghanistan -- Washington Post
New questions about U.S. Defense Department task force in Afghanistan -- Reuters
DOD spent $150M on private villas, security for 'handful' of employees in Afghanistan, watchdog claims -- Fox News
Pentagon wasted 'tens of millions' on private villas in Afghanistan -- USA Today
Pentagon accused of wasting millions on plush staff housing in Afghanistan -- The Guardian
IG: Pentagon task force spent $150M on villas, security guards in Afghanistan -- The Hill
Pentagon spent millions for luxurious private villas -- Washington Times
Pentagon Spends $150 Million on Private Villas, Flat Screen TVs in Afghanistan -- Washington Free Beacon
Pentagon task force under fire for spending $150M on luxury villas, security -- UPI
Afghan Villas Rented by Pentagon Questioned by Inspector General -- Bloomberg
Villas, Private Security, and 24-hour Snacks: How the Pentagon Promoted the 'Free Market' in Afghanistan -- VICE News
Pentagon Task Force Spent Nearly $150M on Villas and 3-Star Meals in Afghanistan -- The Intercept
Villas, Flat-Screens, and Mercenaries: How the Pentagon Wasted Money in Afghanistan -- Mother Jones
How to Waste Money in Afghanistan: Private Villas and Guards -- Catherine Putz, The Diplomat