The US Senate confirmed James B. Cunningham as the new US Ambassador to Afghanistan on Thursday, a promotion from his previous position of deputy US Ambassador to Afghanistan. General John R. Allen the commander of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, congratulated the new U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan  “I have known Ambassador Cunningham for a number of years and have tremendous respect for him.  I am honored to continue working with the ambassador to strengthen Afghan sovereignty, security and prosperity.” The news comes amidst the release of a report by SIGAR which described US reconstruction projects as "unsustainable," July was also the most violent month in two years as insurgents launched their summer offensive in which they announced they would target civilian contractors both foreign and Afghans who work with foreign organizations.