WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on accountability and reform efforts occurring at the Afghan National Military Hospital.  The hearing was initiated by Rep. Mike Coffman’s (R-CO) call for action after reading a troubling article published in the Wall Street Journal of the abuses and corruption occurring at a facility financed by U.S. taxpayers.  The Committee received testimony from senior Department of Defense officials regarding the facility.

“When I found out about this, I was appalled at the inhumane conditions that Afghan soldiers were being subjected to,” Rep. Coffman said.  “These soldiers were dying of starvation and curable illnesses and injuries because they could not afford to pay bribes or because the medication that the United States had provided was being sold on the black market for the personal gain of the Afghan military leadership at the hospital.”

The testimony from the hearing showed that dramatic progress has been made in improving the administration and treatment that is provided at the hospital since it has gained the attention of Congress. Despite these improvements, Rep. Coffman remains skeptical.

“I am pleased that these Afghan soldiers are finally getting the treatment they deserve from their own government; however, I don’t think enough reform has taken place for Congress to continue to write Afghanistan a blank check.  No one who was in a leadership position at that hospital has suffered any criminal prosecution for their atrocious abuse of power.”

Rep. Coffman believes that this is a small but salient example of the greater culture of corruption which plagues the Afghan government.  “This is a clear example of the United States’ best efforts to help the country of Afghanistan being thwarted by a government that is rife with corruption.  If the United States is going to be asked to fund the Afghan government for at least the next five years at $4 billion a year, I expect that there must be appropriate mechanisms in place to ensure that this Congress has the ability to ensure that the American taxpayers’ money is being well spent,” said Rep. Coffman.

Witnesses from the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing include the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia, Mr. David S. Sedney, and the Deputy Inspector General for Special Plans & Operations, Ambassador Kenneth Moorefield.  The Inspector General’s office has been monitoring progress at the hospital since late 2010.

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