Dana and Casey are discussing the idea of internal control after leaving their college auditing class. Dana tells Casey that internal control appears to be more tied to a firm being able to achieve its objectives, and doesn't really understand what it has to do with the external auditors. Casey agrees, adding that he doesn't see any reason why an auditor would be interested in whether or not a firm is achieving its objectives. Which of the following offers the best explanation to help Dana and Casey understand this better?

		The external auditors typically provide an integrated audit which involves auditing both the clients' system of internal control as well as the financial statements. If the auditors are able to confirm that internal control is effective, then they can increase substantive testing.
		The auditors concern themselves with internal control, which is tied to a firm achieving its operational and financial objectives etc. If a client's system of internal control is weak, then there is an increased likelihood of material misstatements in the financial statements.
		The auditors are secondarily concerned with whether or not a firm is achieving its stated goals and objectives, as a company that is not achieving its objectives represents increased audit risk and decrease control risk.
		Whether or not a firm achieves its objectives is not really a concern of the external auditors. Their job is simply to audit the financial statements and attempt to detect any material misstatements if they are present.