Pentagon (File photo)

Washington (People's Daily) - The Pentagon tried to cover up a shocking report on child sex abuse crimes committed by Afghan soldiers and police, according to Tim Rieser, an aide to Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, reported Washington Post on Sunday.

Instead, the Pentagon insisted on the creation of its own report offering a far less authoritative review of human rights violations perpetrated by US allies, said Rieser.

The Pentagon responded with “resistance” when Congress tapped Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) to conduct the probe, he said.

On November 16, the Defense Department Inspector General’s office released a report, which concluded that US personnel have been inadequately trained to report such crimes for years.

Meanwhile, a parallel investigation by the SIGAR was requested by 93 members of Congress in 2015, remains classified based on the Pentagon’s direction, raising questions about the military's transparency and the extent to which it is complying with laws meant to curb such abuse.

The Pentagon's spokesman declined to address questions about this news, claiming that the“extensive research”that would be required.