Senators ask Obama to fire Afghanistan watchdog

By Richard Lardner - The Associated Press WASHINGTON — A group of senators urged President Obama on Thursday to fire the special inspector general responsible for overseeing how billions of American tax dollars are being spent to rebuild Afghanistan.

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In a letter to Obama, the lawmakers — three Republicans and one Democrat — say the inspector general, Arnold Fields, is at the helm of a failing organization and needs to be replaced. The senators said three independent reviews of Fields' office found multiple problems, including a failure to meet minimum standards for conducting investigations. Fields, a retired Marine Corps major general, was traveling to Afghanistan on Thursday. The office's spokeswoman, Susan Phalen, did not address the letter in an e-mailed statement. But she said numerous improvements have been made after the reviews by the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. More...

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