International / Asia Pacific
Civilian Goals Largely Unmet in Afghanistan
By ELISABETH BUMILLER and MARK LANDLER
Published: October 12, 2009
Obama administration officials say the U.S. is falling far short of the president’s goals to fight corruption, create a functioning government and train a police force.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/world/asia/12civil.html
A few quotes from the article: Since 2001, the United States has allocated nearly $13 billion for civilian aid to Afghanistan. Only $13 billion in 9 years? How much have we speant in Afghanistan militarily.
“Right now, the overwhelming majority of civilians are in Kabul, and the overwhelming majority never leave their compounds,” a quote from Henry Crumpton a former senior level CIA member and high ranking State Department person who currently advises General McChrystal, the top U.S. commander. Let me tell you personally that never leaving their compound includes folks at USAID, who has primary oversight for funds being distributed in Afghanistan, and the State Department's folks at the Embassy, who help set many of the policies in and on Afghanistan. When these folks do get out it is in full support of their major entourage of security after a security sweep has been done before they even arive. I have often asked how they can be in charge of shaping policy when they do not know the realities on the ground?
My final quote, and I will get off my soapbox, Anthony H. Cordesman, a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who has advised General McChrystal, said that while progress had been made since 2001, when American-led forces toppled the Taliban, the overall effort “has been a nightmare; vast amounts have been wasted.” I can tell you that the rich get richer and the poor are only a little better off in Afghanistan. The contractors who bid and win on many of the projects here line their pockets with U.S. funded dollars while paying their workers the standard going rate for Afhgan labor. A student told me a story about one his relatives, an Afghan American, who bid on and won a major project at Bagram Air Base. The winning bid was just short of $1 million. The cost of the project was just less than a $150 thousand a net profit of over $850,000. Not because of shoddy construction, nor poor products, but simply because the cost of labor and other things is much lower in Afghanistan. That is $850,000 in one person's pocket. This was not his only project for the U.S. or other military in Afghanistan. Now one might not count that as waste because the project actually came in under budget for the military as based on simular projects elsewhere, but it is waste. Don't even get me started on the military being dependent not on their own forces but contractors.
As I continue to say, the way to help Afghanistan is to invest in Afghanistan. Develop a CCC to build roads, lay powerline, etc., invest in industry, invest in things that when the U.S. and other country's well runs dry that Afghanstan will continue to develop. The contractor above, will be one of the first persons on a plane back to the U.S. when that happens and although he employees Afghans now, where will they be when he closes up shop?
Oh well, I am off my soapbox now!
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