March 30, 2016

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Special Inspector General John F. Sopko at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

“An Existential Threat: U.S. Oversight of and Responses to Corruption in Afghanistan”Thank you, Dean Keeler, for that kind introduction. I also want to especially thank Professor Murtazashvili for her invitation to come speak to you all today and for all her assistance in arranging this visit.It is a real honor to be with you here today. For fifty

Nov. 18, 2015

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Special Inspector General John F. Sopko at the Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI

“U.S. Challenges in Afghanistan: A Discussion with John Sopko”Thank you, Sue Eckert, for that kind introduction. And thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for allowing me to share this time with you this afternoon. I promise to make my remarks short and sweet, as to leave ample time for questions. That might be difficult for me since I am a lawyer by

Oct. 22, 2015

SIGAR Honored with Four CIGIE Awards

Washington, D.C. – Over two dozen staff members from the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), including many serving long tours in Afghanistan, were recognized Thursday for outstanding achievements at the 18th Annual Inspector General Community awards ceremony.Awards honoring SIGAR included the Sentner

Oct. 6, 2015

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Special Inspector General John F. Sopko at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton, NJ

"No More Free Lunch: Afghan Aid with a Purpose"Thank you, Dr. Shapiro, for that kind introduction. And thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for allowing me to share this time with you this afternoon to discuss what I would argue is one of the most important issues that will face our nation for generations to come - namely, how to do a better job of

Sept. 22, 2015

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Special Inspector General John F. Sopko at the Royal United Services Institute, London, UK

"Obstacles and Opportunities in Afghanistan"Director Clarke, ladies and gentlemen, good evening. I am delighted to be in Great Britain again, and honored to be appearing at this venerable institute.The Duke of Wellington conceived the idea of the Royal United Services Institute in 1831, more than 150 years before the United States Congress thought

Sept. 10, 2015

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Special Inspector General John F. Sopko at Georgetown University, Washington, DC

"Ground Truths: Honestly Assessing Reconstruction in Afghanistan"Good afternoon. I am John Sopko, and I am thrilled to be here once again to speak at Georgetown. Accordingly, I would like to thank Dr. McNaugher, the Center for Security Studies, and the School of Foreign Service for the invitation. It is always a pleasure to be here, and I am really

May 13, 2015

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Special Inspector General John F. Sopko at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC

“Budgets and Bullets: Taking Stock of the Afghan Security Forces”Good morning. It is a great pleasure to be here with you this morning at CSIS. I want to thank Dr. Cordesman for the opportunity to talk about taking stock of Afghanistan’s security forces, understanding their capabilities, and determining their prospects for long-term sustainability.

May 5, 2015

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Special Inspector General John F. Sopko at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY

“Afghanistan Reconstruction: Fact vs. Fantasy”Good evening. I am John Sopko, and I am delighted to be here with you. I thank Weill Cornell Medical College for the invitation, and especially the kind introduction. Obviously, the thought was that with your expertise in treating intractable diseases, you would also be interested in Afghanistan

March 19, 2015

SIGAR Announces New Leadership Positions

New Leaders Will Run Agency’s Afghanistan Operations, Lessons Learned Program, and Audits and Inspections DirectorateARLINGTON, Va. – John F. Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, today announced that veteran Foreign Service Officer Thomas Niblock will join the agency as its Kabul-based Assistant Inspector General for

Dec. 10, 2014

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by Special Inspector General John F. Sopko at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, D.C.

Good morning. Thank you, Sarah Chayes, for that kind introduction.As the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, I speak at a wide variety of venues, but speaking to the Carnegie Endowment is special. Carnegie does good work in many fields, and that work reminds IGs like me that our mission in Afghanistan is about more than