The top US Army general in charge of training Afghan security forces is being accused of obstructing an investigation into widespread corruption and abuse by Afghan security forces and military medical staff that he managed.
In the interest of protecting his supposed close relationship with President Obama and of concealing major missteps “during an election cycle,” Lt. Gen. William Caldwell allegedly blocked a Defense Department investigation into an alleged criminal drug-running enterprise and senior-level abuse of Afghan medical staff.
Scores of millions of US taxpayer dollars are alleged to have disappeared off of the Afghan Army medical corps balance sheets. Other allegations include illegally selling pharmaceuticals meant for Afghan troops, hiring physicians based on political connections for higher pay, and terrible neglect and abuse of patients.
Air Force Col. Schuyler Geller, who served under Caldwell, has claimed that Caldwell and there high-level officials knew about the rampant abuse and corruption, but kept it under wraps.
“How could we think to invite the DOD IG [the Pentagon inspector general] in during an election cycle?” Caldwell allegedly screamed at subordinate officers who favored an investigation into the abuse. Caldwell is said to have demanded the call for an inquiry be retracted.
As support for the Afghan war sinks to all-time lows, rampant corruption and failure have become the norm along with constant needless death, waste, and abuse. Given how poor the public image of ‘Obama’s war’ is, this additional pock mark is unlikely to harm the administration any further.
Hell can be most profitable
A 5% rich city-class using drugs and every corruption conceivable to enslave the 95% rural-class, what our friendly little Afghan hell is all about.
So, Obama is re-creating his own replica of Chicago.
Lance the pustule and allow the evil humors to drain away.
On the other hand, it IS one of the few shootin' wars we've got.
Glorious deth, qucik promotion and all that good stuff. Booyah!
Like the Defense Dept. would do anything to better the situation if the investigation had continued. Nothing is ever accomplished in our military when they investigate themselves.
Flip over any rock and you can find the local corruption this article describes. Afghanistan has become something far more sinister. Afghanistan is:
– a military training ground: where new recruits are blooded – they learn how to do COIN and learn to hate civilians (both Afghan & Stateside).
-a moneypit: where millions of dollars are given to contractors, NGOs, Private Security companies, Afghan govt., the US military
-a testing ground: especially for security technology like spy drones, spy blimps, bio-metrics, tracking devices but also dune-buggies, armored-bulldozers, massive bombs, ect…
-a renewable hunting ground: for special forces to get their kicks in hunting the 'ultimate game' (i.e the worlds' poorest farmers…)
-heroin factory: the world's supplier since the 2001 invasion
-military career advancement centre: get some medals, get a promotion, try out a new doctrine, (just don't get appointed by Obama or talk to Rolling Stone reporters)
-token 'terror war': a useful political reminder to Americans that we are "at war" and so must surrender all freedoms to a succession of "War Presidents"
-Grand Chessboard launching pad: bordering Iran, Pakistan, China, and the 'Stans
Afghanistan is the perfect 'forever war' as described by Orwell. America cannot lose to the neo-Taliban in any real sense but the single twenty-year old killed every day (on average) is enough to make it a 'war' with 'real sacrifices'. Why would anyone want to end this 'war'?
Remember, the German people were constantly told that Stalingrad was a great victory up until they had to be told that a German army of 250,000 had been totally destroyed. Don't believe everything you here.
To me, its been sounding like we've been losing Afghanistan for some time now. First I saw reports of Afghans taking over former US bases, along with an official explanation that we had withdrawn for 'strategic reasons'. The only supposed 'victory' of the last four years was a fake victory attacking a province no one really wanted and taking a 'city' that was really only a small rural village. This was supposed to be followed up by a second 'offensive' in Kanduhar, but then I started hearing stories about Taliban attacks on the major NATO bases there, often timed to dog-and-pony-show visits by politicians. Now, the dog-and-pony-show visits to Kanduhar have stopped completely, and the supposed Kanduhar offensive was cancelled, also for supposed strategic reasons. We've lost our supply line through Pakistan, and now they are announcing new routes through central Asia. And, it was only a month or two ago that we heard that the war had now moved into Kabul itself with the Taliban launching a major Tet-like offensive in the capital.
Don't be too sure we can't lose.
Hmmm…I wonder whether the good General is betting on getting appointed Chairman JCS in the possible next term of the current resident…
Morality — Born of slow and careful thought
Let the fast thinking rich control high-profit business, let my slow and careful thinking laboring-class rule high-morality government, and you have perfection in a most ingrate and self-absorbed world.
For no one can lie to those more intelligent, so savor the thought of it, a government operating in the full light of day and nothing done behind closed doors.
Bloody, violent and corrupt Warlord Obama, Orwellian symbol of peace in the new century.
One hand washes the other. I'm sure Obama will return the favor by throwing a little war or two down the General's way.
Actually, probably a Repub-vs-Dem factional struggle within the military. Most of the military is usually pro-Republican, so it wouldn't surprise me if the junior officers are in this case. Which puts this more as a pro-Obama general who's sucked up to the current admin to get his position, squabbling with subordinates who are pro-Romney and who would hope for promotions under a Romney emperorships.
Such plots and sub-plots are pretty normal in the midst of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. Especially when the basic concept of trying to preserve a democracy by keeping the military out is turned on its head and instead the state has the pro-military view that the only real path to power goes through the military and people who never serve in the military are regarded as second-class citizens who shouldn't run for office and who shouldn't even get jobs as the few jobs left are reserved for the returning troops who've 'served their country' by going to the other side of the world and murdering and raping civiilians.
This is of course no surprise.
What I really appreciated was Glaser’s use of “alleged” for things that couldn’t be supported.
If only the corporate whore press did that.