The Pentagon’s Inspector General is stepping up its investigation of widespread child abuse in the Afghan Military and an alleged cover up of it by American military leaders.
In a memo written late last week, Deputy IG Kenneth Moorfield said the inquiry would be deepening “in response to concerns raised by the staff of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and various Members of Congress.”
Moorfield also noted that it would be looking for Pentagon violations of the Leahy Law—a statute that, in theory, forbids the US government from supporting human rights-abusing security forces. The rule was named after its author, Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).
The auditors launched a preliminary investigation last autumn, after a New York Times report alleged in September that there existed “an American policy of nonintervention” in response to child abuse and rape repeatedly committed by Afghan allies.
The Times said the Pentagon was officially looking the other way to maintain cordial relations with Afghan military leaders. The commander of US forces in Afghanistan, Gen. John. Campbell, strenuously denied the charges.
“I personally have served multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan and am absolutely confident that no such theater policy has ever existed here, and certainly, no such policy has existed throughout my tenure as commander,” Campbell said in September.
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) is already looking into the alleged child abuse cover-up. In January, SIGAR said it would be investigating the Pentagon for Leahy law violations, in response to a letter signed by Sen. Leahy, Rep. Thomas Rooney (R-Fla.) and 91 other lawmakers.
