Ike Skelton, Chairman
For Immediate Release: March 25, 2009
Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO)
Hearing on Effective Counterinsurgency: How the Use and Misuse of Reconstruction Funding Affects the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan
Washington, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) delivered the following opening statement during today’s hearing on Effective Counterinsurgency: How the Use and Misuse of Reconstruction Funding Affects the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan:
“Today, the House Armed Services Committee meets to take testimony on ‘Effective Counterinsurgency: How the Use and Misuse of Reconstruction Funding Affects the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.’ We are fortunate to have three extremely qualified witnesses to help us sort through these issues: Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR); Major General Arnold Fields, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR); and Jacquelyn Williams-Bridgers, Managing Director for International Affairs and Trade at the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
“In recent years, the United States has engaged in two counterinsurgency campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. While the campaign in Iraq is winding down, we are expecting a new strategy that will reinvigorate our efforts in Afghanistan to be announced in the next few days. This makes today’s effort all the more important.
“Both SIGIR and GAO have written and testified repeatedly about the problems in the U.S. effort to rebuild Iraq. Among many other problems, at some point during the war in Iraq, the reconstruction effort suffered from poor financial controls, poor interagency coordination, and a lack of strategic planning. While to some extent these problems were addressed over time in Iraq, we must ensure that the lessons that we learned there at great expense are not lost.
“To help ensure that we do not experience the same problems in Afghanistan that we did in Iraq, this committee, as part of the FY08 Defense Authorization Act, created the position of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR. As the President announces a new strategy shortly, it is our hope that SIGAR will help to take a critical look at the efforts in Afghanistan to ensure that they are properly coordinated and aligned.
“At the same time, many people have heard the concern that in Afghanistan, we are faced with a proliferation of auditors that we did not face in Iraq when SIGIR began its important work. I am hopeful that our witnesses will take the time to address the difficult trade-offs between full accountability and the flexibility needed in a war zone and the coordination that we need between auditors to ensure we do not stifle creativity.
“I would also note that many of the lessons learned in Iraq, as pointed out by GAO and SIGIR, may be applicable in the future as we consider ways to reform the interagency system. It is my hope that the testimony and discussion here will help to illuminate these issues and to help us further understand the problems and potential solutions.
“I now yield to my good friend, the Ranking Member, John McHugh for any comments he might care to make.”
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