Struggles coping with corruption in Afghanistan reconstruction contracts have been an issue from virtually the moment the NATO occupation began, but with a drawdown planned in 2015 and growing public opposition to the war, NATO members are rethinking their “enduring presence.”
Initially the plan was to focus the military presence in 2015 and beyond on trainers to keep building up the struggling Afghan military, which is facing double digit desertion rates and constantly replacing them with raw, poorly paid recruits.
Instead of wasting their time and money training Afghan troops who by-and-large are going to desert almost immediately thereafter anyhow, many nations see the real value in the occupation as keeping an eye on the billions of dollars in aid they intend to keep throwing into the black hole that is Afghan contractors.
The numbers for the nations are staying about the same, but with less and less trainers and more and more “managers” meant to oversee the aid dollars. Whether they will be any more effective at keeping track of the money than their predecessors remains to be seen.
Maybe there's something fundamentally wrong with what we consider 'military training'.
Maybe there's something fundamentally wrong with what we consider 'military training'.
This must be a joke! What projects? What billions? "Many nations" — wonder who the fools are — see value in OCCUPATION as a way of keeping eye on this marvel of economic reconstruction in Afghanistan? There is NOTHING. Money goes to those who get it in the name of development, then is filtered down to buy Afghan officials to support occupation. In the end, a guy with a can of paint and a brush may show up in a dirty school without basic sanitary conditions, to paint a bit. And after he runs out of paint, that is is. Why not go VISIT ALL THESE PROJECTS, AND AUDIT WHERE THE MONEY IS REALLY GOING. Those that are making this money, surely hate to lose it, so they came up with this story. And — in order for the occupation to continue — how many soldiers will US still have to provide? The money bags just do not give up — do they? We can cut all of our money from the elderly, kids, sick, disabled — for as long as they enjoy the occupaton party? Sick of it!
Sounds like a view from the ground. …also seem to remember threats to tear down bases at our expense –another indicator that it aint about 'development.'
If only our soldiers/sailors/airmen were so undomesticated. One major difference might be that ours seriously believe they'd be hunted down, another that they're doing fine materially and would struggle more 'on the run.' We're the Big Brother/Userous society; they're free. (by this obvious measure) And 'we' could only be there to destroy that.