The Afghan War Isn’t Being Won, Says New Pentagon Audit

Just one day after a double suicide bombing in Kabul killed at least 31 people and wounded scores more, a U.S. military watchdog released a report with a set of dismal statistics on the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

The report conflicts with the optimism projected by senior military officials, including U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis.

“We do look toward a victory in Afghanistan,” Mattis said shortly before visiting the country in March, echoing the phraseology of his predecessors. He said this meant a political reconciliation between its insurgents and leaders, and Afghan security forces strong enough to defend the government by themselves.

But his optimism, and that of his Defense Department colleagues, is undercut by the latest quarterly report published by John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction.

Here are a few uncomfortable but telling statistics buried in the 262-page report, dated April 30, and released on May 1: