Thursday, March 7, 2013

Squandering Aid In Afghanistan

Local villagers receive humanitarian aid from the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team in the village of Nijrab in the Kapisa Province of Afghanistan Jan. 14, 2008. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Tyffani L. Davis)

$100 Billion In Aid Squandered in Afghanistan -- David Francis, Fiscal Times

The decision by the United States Agency for International Development to scrap the completion of a dam project meant to supply electricity to Kandahar, the spiritual home of the Taliban in Afghanistan, is the latest and perhaps largest failure of the United States to use development dollars to create stability by building Afghan infrastructure.

USAID had planned to spend $266 million to repair the Kajaki Dam, located in Helmand province, and to install turbines that would provide electricity to Kandahar City. More than 50 American soldiers were killed taking the area around the dam. USAID now plans to pass responsibility for installation of the turbines to the Afghan national power company, despite the widespread lack of confidence in Afghan government bodies.

Read more ....

My Comment:
I mentioned a few years back that even if $1 trillion in aid was pumped into Afghanistan .... ten years later there will be nothing to show for it. Bottom line .... as long as a culture of corruption, tribalism, and a lack of security with no rule of law is the norm in Afghanistan .... much of the aid that is brought into Afghanistan will be lost.

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