Arnold Fields, watchdog over Afghan reconstruction, resigns amid congressional pressure

[cory777]

Source: Washington Post

The head of the office charged with investigating corruption in the multibillion-dollar effort to rebuild Afghanistan has resigned, the White House said Monday, following congressional demands that the White House replace him.

Arnold Fields, a retired Marine Corps major general, was named special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction in 2008, when the office was first established along the lines of a similar effort that has uncovered billions of dollars of waste and fraud in Iraq.

In a statement, the White House praised Fields's "hard work and steadfast determination," adding, "the President and the American people owe him a debt of gratitude for his courage, leadership, and selfless service."

The White House made no mention of who would replace Fields. In his own statement, Fields said he would work for the next month "to ensure a smooth transition of duties."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/10/AR2011011005512.html?wprss=rss_world

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