by MATTHEW GAULT

It’s suddenly become more difficult to learn anything about America’s 9,800 troops staying behind in Afghanistan, and how the Pentagon is spending billions of taxpayer dollars on reconstruction.

The U.S. military ended transparency of Afghanistan’s security forces in January. Losing that means losing sight of the United States’ many successes … and failures.

On Dec. 29, 2014 the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction did what it always does, it asked for information. Part of SIGAR’s job is to put together reports for Congress on various elements of the reconstruction.

Five days later, the new NATO-led Resolute Support Mission emailed SIGAR to let it know that it was classifying the bulk of the information requested. In particular, RSM decided to classify much of the data on Afghanistan’s military.

“The classification of this volume of data for SIGAR’s quarterly report is unprecedented,” stated the watchdog’s recent report to Congress.

“The decision leaves SIGAR for the first time in six years unable to publicly report on most of the U.S.-taxpayer-funded efforts to build, train, equip, and sustain the Afghan National Security Forces.”

U.S. Army Gen. John Campbell—commander of coalition troops in Afghanistan—wrote a letter to the agency claiming the classification was a security issue. He doesn’t want SIGAR publishing anything about the Afghan military’s troop strength or deployment.

“With lives literally on the line,” he wrote. “We must be careful to avoid providing sensitive information to those that threaten our forces and Afghan forces.”

SIGAR published a list of the questions it asked RSM, which the military either classified or restricted the answers to. But many questions do not appear to be a matter of life and death. Rather, it seems the inquiries might reveal something embarrassing.

To be sure, Campbell and RSM should do everything in their power to keep American and Afghan troops safe. A public report about troop strength and attrition rates could conceivably hinder the mission.

“I am committed to maximum transparency,” Campbell wrote in his letter.