Afghanistan Cannot Be Trusted With U.S. Aid

Afghan workers carry 50 kg bags of wheat out of a United Nations warehouse to load onto a truck in Kabul November 5, 2009. Credit: Reuters/Jerry Lampen

U.S. Aid to Afghans Flows On Despite Warnings of Misuse -- New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — With billions of dollars in American aid increasingly flowing straight into Afghan government coffers, the United States hired two global auditing firms three years ago to determine whether Afghanistan could be trusted to safeguard the money.

The findings were so dire that American officials fought to keep them private. But the money has continued to flow, despite warnings from the auditors that none of the 16 Afghan ministries could be counted on to keep the funds from being stolen or wasted.

The problems unearthed by the auditors are detailed in a report to be published Thursday by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, an American government watchdog. The findings raise new questions about the efficacy and wisdom of giving huge amounts of aid directly to a government known for corruption.

Read more ....

Update: Report: Afghanistan cannot be trusted with US aid -- RT

My Comment: When I read reports of waste like this one .... $600k in U.S. taxpayer dollars buys medieval hospital in Afghanistan .... I cannot help but feel that the U.S. taxpayer is being hosed.

The Inspector General's report can be read here.