U.S. lawmakers blast State Department over Kabul embassy delays

U.S. lawmakers criticized the State Department for construction delays and cost overruns at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan on Thursday, saying they waste taxpayer dollars and put employees' lives at unnecessary risk.

The expansion of the sprawling embassy complex in Kabul is more than three years behind schedule, and at least 27 percent over budget, at $730 million, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

The project is now due to be finished in autumn 2017

During a House Oversight Committee hearing on cost overruns at the embassy, several members questioned security at the facility. The delays have prolonged the amount of time Americans in Kabul have spent in temporary facilities, which do not have to adhere to the same security standards as permanent facilities.

"The American diplomatic staff in Afghanistan are being exposed to unnecessary danger," said Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz, the panel's chairman.

State Department officials said cost increases and delays were unavoidable, given the evolving situation in Afghanistan where there are frequent attacks by Taliban militants.

"We started with a master plan, and we will continue to make modifications to that plan until we have the right combination of facilities and security features in place in Kabul," said Lydia Muniz, director of the State Department's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. - Read More at U.S. lawmakers blast

U.S. lawmakers blast State Department over Kabul embassy delays

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