To the Point
Americans Have Paid for "Ghost Schools" in Afghanistan
After 13 years in Afghanistan, and the loss of 2000 American lives, victories have been hard to come by. So US officials, including Hillary Clinton, when she was Secretary of State, have claimed that educating Afghan children has been a one-billion dollar success story.
By Warren Olney • • 8m ListenAfter 13 years in Afghanistan, and the loss of 2000 American lives, victories have been hard to come by. So US officials, including Hillary Clinton, when she was Secretary of State, have claimed that educating Afghan children has been a one-billion dollar success story.
But that claim does not stand up to scrutiny.After visiting school sites, consulting databases and documents and speaking to 150 people, a Buzzfeed News investigation has found massive exaggeration, "riddled with ghost schools, teachers and students that exist only on paper." We hear more about the boondoggle from investigative reporter Azmat Khan, who wrote the story, and John Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, an independent agency created by Congress.
