Funding Corruption and Waste in Afghanistan

From: http://www.antiwar.com/

by Rep. Ron Paul, July 13, 2010

Last week, GOP chairman Michael Steele came under fire for daring to say what a lot of Americans already know – that our involvement in Afghanistan is an ill-advised quagmire with no end in sight. After nearly 10 years and approaching $1 trillion spent, the conflict is going nowhere because there is nowhere for it to go. After all, if victory is never really defined, defeat is inevitable.
With our economy at home in serious trouble, this wasteful occupation is something we clearly cannot afford. Each soldier costs us $1 million per year, and yet most in Washington are only considering how many more soldiers to send. Fuel costs an astonishing $400 per gallon for our military in Afghanistan! Yet somehow, many politicians feel it is acceptable to squeeze this money out of our taxpayers, who are truly struggling economically, to fund this non-war. Our economy here is not showing any real signs of improvement. Official unemployment is pushing 10 percent and getting worse. (Real unemployment is over 20 percent, according to the free-market economists.) The growing debt and inflation used to fund this occupation only dooms us to more economic hardship for a long time to come. And for what?
Where the money for Afghanistan comes from is one problem; where it goes is another. Recently, it has come to light that much of the aid money we send to Afghanistan is lost due to corruption. Billions of tax dollars from hardworking Americans are ending up lining the pockets of corrupt Afghan officials, and likely even filtering into the Taliban we are ostensibly fighting. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that curiously enough, billions more than the Afghan government collects in revenue is leaving the country in the form of cash on huge pallets and in suitcases and mostly ending up in Dubai, as well-connected Afghan officials buy up luxury homes and enrich their personal offshore bank accounts. Investigations into corruption and graft have been blocked by the Karzai government, probably because Karzai’s own brother would have to be implicated. It is encouraging that the foreign aid appropriations subcommittee has attempted to block billions in aid as a response to these allegations, but this is likely temporary and may not even succeed.
The point is that sending aid money to Afghanistan is not making poor people over there better off. It is making poor people here worse off. Corruption is endemic to Afghanistan, with graft comprising about one fourth of their economy! Even though it is considered the second most corrupt nation in the world according to Transparency International, we still send the Afghan government billions of dollars in aid and are shocked to find it is not making its way out of the sticky fingers of the officials entrusted with it.
Robbing citizens here to fund corruption over there is not helping average citizens anywhere. We are sacrificing real economic opportunities at home for the opportunity to line corrupt pockets in Afghanistan. Not only that, but American soldiers are being killed and maimed. It is tragic and frustrating how much we have lost and wasted already. It is time to leave Afghanistan to the Afghans to sort out. I am glad more Americans are finally willing to face this reality.
Read more by Rep. Ron Paul
The War That’s Not a War – July 2nd, 2010
Military Spending Must Be on the Table – June 28th, 2010
Justice Department’s History Not Worth Celebrating – June 27th, 2010
More Blank Checks to the Military-Industrial Complex – May 24th, 2010
Sanctioning Iran Is an Act of War – April 22nd, 2010

Blogger comment:
Wars brings more wars and misery. I was for fighting the Muslims extremists for 9/11 attack ask people around me in America I was very strong about it, we have to get Ben Laden. Then I found out that 9/11 is an internal job for people who control the world with false flags and deceit.

Then I found that terrorists are everywhere in the white house and in many palaces for presidents in the world. If you want to define terrorist as the one who attack civilians America did that already over the decades and mostly for the corporate rich.

Terrorism can be done also with not firing a gun but by making wars like they did with inflaming wars of Saddam and Iran and supplying both sides to fight. As well by standing with the strong tyrants who are terrorizing us in the Muslim and Arab world. The banks payout is non violence terrorism by the biggest banks. It was the biggest robbery in America where the politicians gave our tax money to the Banks first by the chief deceptive George Bush and then his follower Obama.

Have I been very polite to the American presidents yes sir read my early writings. However when I found them intimidate me at personal level for me telling the truth I have the right to attack them even at personal level. Defense against aggression is honour and courage.

Aggression against the weak and silent masses is tyranny and injustice. Remember there is a great and very powerful God and he is on the side of the just and fair. I am very sure he is on my side. It is after all a prophecy.

Regarding Afghanistan it is not winnable since:
1- A lot of the Americans think we are not on the side of the good which was the way Americans used to win wars like the second world war.
2- The Afghanistan regime is very corrupted and considered by most Muslims as hypocrites.
3- The Afghan soldiers do not think they are in the side of good either and against their faith to fight for corrupt corporations and regimes.
4- Ben Laden is not a person he is an idea. Muslims are powerless and any one will stand to the west and their corrupt Muslim regimes will be a hero. He will be Robin Hood.
5- The great American ranking military leaders and their honourable soldiers who fight a war are not enthusiastic to fight Ben laden they would rather fight the Arab tyrants and free the masses. It did not work in Iraq since the intention of politicians were not sincere and the people who they brought in power were not even popular with the masses.

Thus get out of Muslims land leave them alone take care of your people and president Obama please mail me back my passport I will pay you the 100 dollars I promised to whoever find my passport. You are after all the president of USA and can do anything.