U.S. General: Corruption Is The Biggest Threat in Afghanistan. New Report Also Paints A Grim Future On Afghanistan

U.S. Report Offers Grim Portrait Of Afghanistan’s Future -- McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — As Afghanistan prepares to hand over power to a new president and U.S. combat forces depart, the United States’ special inspector general for the war-torn country paints a bleak picture of its long-term prospects in a new report to Congress.

The report, of which McClatchy obtained an embargoed copy before its Wednesday release, said corruption is so widespread in Afghanistan that it threatens the U.S. long-term reconstruction effort.

“Corruption in Afghanistan includes everything from petty bribery for routine services, nepotism and tribal preference to contract fraud, large-scale theft of resources and subversion of the justice system,” the report concludes.

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More News On The Special Inspector General`s Report On Afghanistan And Former Gen. Allen`s Remarks

Report Points to Afghan Progress, Challenges -- US Department of Defense
Corruption threatens Afghanistan reconstruction, auditor's report claims -- FOX News/AP
Afghanistan Corruption Fostered by U.S., Pentagon Study Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek
US gen: Corruption is top threat in Afghanistan -- Washington Post/AP
Corruption is Afghans' 'existential threat': US ex-general -- Global Post/AFP
Gen. John Allen: Enduring U.S. Presence Needed -- TRNS

Afghanistan News Updates -- April 2, 2014

Afghan policemen take up a position outside the Interior Ministry in Kabul after a suicide bomber blew himself up Wednesday, killing himself and at least six policemen. REUTERS

Afghanistan: Taliban Blamed For Fresh Violence Ahead Of Elections -- CNN

Kabul (CNN) -- A provincial council candidate and nine of his supporters were killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan two days after they were kidnapped, said Sakhidad Haidari, deputy police chief of northern Sar-e-Pul province.

The 10 were kidnapped Sunday and shot dead Tuesday night, Haidari told CNN on Wednesday.

The bodies of four of those killed, including the Sar-e-Pul election candidate, Hussain Nazari, have been returned to police, he said. The other six remain in the hands of the Taliban.

The Taliban have not commented on the incident, which comes ahead of presidential and provincial elections to be held Saturday.

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Afghanistan News Updates -- April 2, 2014

Bomber Kills Six at Interior Ministry Entrance in Kabul -- New York Times
Blast kills 6 at Afghan Interior Ministry compound -- Washington Post/AP
Suicide Blast at Afghan Interior Ministry Kills 6 -- Voice of America
Suicide Bomber Kills at Least Six in Kabul -- Wall Street Journal

Afghanistan election candidates raise fears over widespread fraud -- The Guardian
In Afghan election, compromises and concerns of fraud -- Washington Post
Afghans line up for last-minute voter registration -- Washington Post/AP
Afghan Women See Hope in the Ballot Box -- New York Times
Security Lockdown In Kabul As Election Day Nears -- Radio Free Europe
To Protect Foreigners, Afghanistan Shuts Down Their Hangouts -- New York Times

For first month in years, no U.S. forces die in Afghanistan -- CNN
Pentagon: No US deaths in Afghanistan in March -- AP
March Was First Month Without U.S. Fatalities in Iraq or Afghanistan In 11 Years -- Time
U.S. Closes 290 Bases In Afghanistan, Less Than 33,000 Troops Left -- Army Times

Retail politics, Afghanistan-style: how two front-runners woo voters -- Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor
Afghanistan's Next President Will Be ... -- NPR
What if the Afghan elections actually work? -- Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst
Rigging the Afghan Vote -- Anand Gopal, New Yorker
Alliances realign as latest superpower pulls out of Afghanistan -- Jason Burke in Delhi and Jon Boone, The Guardian

Afghanistan's Vice President Dies Form Natural Causes

Afghan Vice President Mohammed Fahim, second from right, attends the last day of the Loya Jirga in Kabul on Nov. 24, 2013. (Omar Sobhani/ Reuters)

Afghan Vice President Qassim Fahim Dies At 57 -- Al Jazeera

Marshal Mohammed Qassim Fahim, who suffered from diabetes, died of natural causes, authorities say.

Kabul - Afghanistan's first vice president, Marshal Mohammed Qassim Fahim, has died in the country's capital, a spokesman for the Afghan government has confirmed.

In an online statement on Sunday, Aimal Faizi, spokesman for President Hamid Karzai said that Fahim had passed away and that the government had called for a national mourning period.

"The government of Afghanistan has called for three-day national mourning, during which the national flag will be half-hoisted for his demise," Faizi said on his Twitter account.

Fahim, 57, who became Karzai's first vice president in 2009, had been suffering from diabetes for years and was believed to be in ill health.

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More News On The Death Of Afghan President Marshal Mohammed Qassim Fahim

Afghanistan's powerful vice-president Fahim dies in Kabul -- DAWN/Reuters
Warlord Who Tamped Conflicts as Afghan Vice President Dies -- New York Times
Afghan Vice President Mohammad Qasim Fahim, 57, dies -- UPI
Mohammed Fahim dies at 57; Afghanistan’s first vice president -- Washington Post
Afghan vice president Mohammad Qasim Fahim dies, aged 57 -- The Independent
Afghan vice-president has died of natural causes, say officials -- The Guardian
Afghanistan's Powerful Vice President Mohammad Qasim Fahim Dies -- NBC News
Afghanistan First Vice President Qasim Fahim Dies From Illness -- Bloomberg Businessweek
From Afghan warlord to vice-president: Fahim dies in Kabul -- AFP
Afghan Vice President’s Death Shakes Up Political Field -- WSJ

My Comment: Every news organization is going out of it's way to emphasize the point that he died from natural causes .... such is life in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Is Considering Reintroducing Public Stoning As Punishment For Adultery

The film "Kite Runner," based on the novel by Afghan emigre Khaled Hosseini, portrayed the terror of a Taliban-era execution by stoning at Ghazi Stadium in Kabul. Radio Free Europe

Afghanistan Considers Public Stoning for Adulterers -- Voice of America

Afghanistan's Justice Ministry has proposed reintroducing public stoning for convicted adulterers, possibly restoring a punishment in force during the Taliban's brutal rule.

Human Rights Watch and Afghan officials said Monday the sentence for married adulterers -- along with flogging for unmarried offenders -- appears in a draft revision of the country's penal code.

The U.S.-based rights group urged the Afghan government to reject the proposal, and said international donors should send a clear message that including stoning in Afghan law would have an immediate adverse effect on funding for the government.

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More News On Afghanistan Considering Reintroducing Public Stoning As Punishment For Adultery

Rights group says Afghanistan must reject proposal to for stoning as punishment for adultery -- FOX News/AP
Adulterers may be stoned under new Afghan law, official says -- Reuters
Public stoning consideration is latest setback for Afghan women's rights -- The Guardian
Afghanistan draws criticism from human rights group over proposal to bring back stoning -- FOX News
Afghan Draft Text Raises Fears Of Shari'a-Fueled Return To Stoning -- Radio Free Europe
Afghanistan to bring back stoning for adultery -- Rick Moran, American Thinker
Public stoning to death for adultery proposed in Afghan penal code -- Khaama Press

My Comment: The return of the dark ages to Afghanistan is now in full swing.

Afghanistan's Next President May Be A Former Warlord Who Had Ties To Osama Bin Laden And Al Qaeda Affiliated Groups

Photo: Abdul Rasul Sayyaf. Photo Credit: REUTERS/Ahmad Masood

Former Warlord Primed For Afghan Presidency -- Luke Hunt, The Diplomat

"A presidential candidate with a violent terrorist group named in his honor."

From the jihad wilds of Africa, Central and Southeast Asia an Afghan warlord has emerged as an unlikely favorite to become his country’s next president. Abdul Rasul Sayyaf – blamed for the deaths of thousands – has declared his candidacy for polls due later this year and political insiders say his chances are better than good.

Sayyaf’s ties have included Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, the Southeast Asian terror outfit Jemmah Islamiyah (JI) and the widely loathed Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) from the Southern Philippines. The ASG adopted his name after he trained Filipino members for jihad in Africa in the 1990s.

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My Comment: The following is a good description of him ....

.... One seasoned American described him as: “A presidential candidate with a violent terrorist group named in his honor; a presidential candidate for an Afghan government that previously incarcerated him; and a Pashtun who believes in horrific terrorist violence, but who doesn't get along with the Taliban.”

Sighhh .... the news from Afghanistan keeps on getting worse with each passing day.

Update: Another ominous development .... other Afghan warlords are preparing for rough and violent times.

If Afghans Are Worried That The War May Escalate After The U.S. Withdrawal, Why Is There A Property Boom In Kabul?

Aria City Compound development in Kabul. Wikimapia

Kabul Property Boom Confounds Fears About Afghanistan's Security -- The Guardian

Afghan capital's skyline transformed by luxury high-rise buildings as new rich prepare to weather Nato's withdrawal.

Two giant concrete pomegranates loom over downtown Kabul, with bright red, 15ft-tall seeds bursting from their sides and lit at night with dancing pink lights.

The sculptures adorn the top of the orange, silver and blue "Pomegranate Towers" apartment block, one of the more garishly ostentatious buildings thrown up by Kabul's nouveau riche but also an unlikely token of hope in city threatened by a tenacious insurgency as foreign troops leave.

"I get a lot more confidence from looking at these awful buildings. It kills me as an architect, but from an economic point of view it seems to be quite a vote of confidence," said Jolyon Leslie, a South African with several decades experience of restoration and urban planning in Afghanistan. "Everyone is talking about the tide going out economically, but everyone is still investing in these fancy buildings … they are making a long-term bet the city will stay stable enough to earn it back."

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My Comment: These Afghan investors remind me of a story that I read over a year ago on how speculators were betting that Syria's civil war would end and that property values would then boom in Damascus and Aleppo. Unfortunately for these speculators .... the only "boom" that they are experiencing is coming from bombs exploding. My prediction is the same for Afghanistan .... even though many want the war to end .... many do not.

What Subcontractors In Afghanistan Do If They Don't Get Paid

USACE Afghanistan Engineer District—South/Flickr

Report: Subcontractors in Afghanistan Do Crazy Things When They Don't Get Paid -- Mother Jones

A new report released last week suggests that shoddy contracting practices are fomenting discontent and distrust among Afghan contractors, damaging efforts to foster Afghan businesses, and undermining the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reported that $69 million in unpaid bills owed to Afghan subcontractors have led to death and kidnapping threats, work stoppages, fraud, at least one car chase, and the use of local police forces to extract payment.

Here are some of the highlights from the report:

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My Comment: This is the part of the human condition .... if you do not get paid you will get upset .... regardless of race, culture, and background.

A Flicker Of Hope In Afghanistan?

 

A Flicker Of Hope In Afghanistan Amid Security Handover, Diplomacy -- Ed Payne and Kyle Almond, CNN 

 (CNN) -- Could the end of the war in Afghanistan be in sight?

A flash of hope flickered at the end of the tunnel Tuesday. Afghan forces formally took over security responsibilities for their violence-plagued country from NATO-led troops on Tuesday, marking a key transition in the long and costly war.

President Hamid Karzai also announced that a government group dedicated to Afghan peace and reconciliation will go to the Gulf state of Qatar and participate in talks with the Taliban militant group -- long the adversary of the Afghan and coalition soldiers trying to keep order in the nation.

"You are the sons and guardians of this country, and it is your responsibility to protect it," Karzai told his troops at a handover ceremony in Kabul.

"I wish a long-term peace in Afghanistan." The head of NATO said Afghans are now in charge.

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My Comment: For Afghans .... it is a very small flicker of hope. For the rest of us, it is the first step among many to finally withdraw from Afghanistan.

U.S. General Dempsey: A Taliban Victory In Afghanistan Would Lead To Regional Instability

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifies during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee in Washington, D.C., June 11, 2013. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

Defeat In Afghanistan Would Lead To Regional Instability: US -- Indian Express/PTI

An American loss in Afghanistan could result in instability in the region with re-emergence of extremist groups, a top Pentagon official has told lawmakers.

"The region will become unstable. I think there will be problems on Pakistan's border. Iran will be encouraged to become even more regionally aggressive," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey told Senators.

"We could find a re-emergence of violent extremist groups," he said during a Congressional hearing yesterday.

"The difference between winning and losing is certainly what we do between now and the end of '14 but also, I think, the commitment we make beyond," Dempsey said.

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Update: US defeat in Afghanistan will lead to regional instability -- Khaama Press

My Comment: General Martin Dempsey is probably right .... but we cannot stay in Afghanistan indefinitely. Bottom line .... the Afghans (and their regional neighbors) will need to solve these problems themselves, and the international presence in Afghanistan is (in my opinion) only giving them an excuse to not confront these national security issue on their own.

Death And Taxes In Afghanistan

Two Things Are Certain in Afghanistan: (IED) Deaths and (Screwed Up) Taxes -- Mark Thompson, Battleland/Time

A roadside bomb killed three U.S. troops in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday. You can always count on death, as Ben Franklin ruefully noted. And in Afghanistan, it seems, you can always count on taxes. Being screwed up. Big time.

Just check out the title of Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko’s report released Tuesday:

Taxes: Afghan Government Has Levied Nearly a Billion Dollars in Business Taxes on Contractors Supporting U.S. Government Efforts in Afghanistan

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My Comment: Yup .... the Afghans are becoming Westernized.

The U.S. Is Still Spending Billions In Afghanistan

The U.S. Is Still Spending Billions In Afghanistan, But No One Seems To Care -- David Francis, Business Insider/The Fiscal Times

Hard-fought gains in Afghanistan over the last decade are at risk of being squandered – unless immediate action is taken to determine the fate of tens of billions of dollars in questionable reconstruction projects, the chief of the Afghan audit agency said.

In an exclusive interview with The Fiscal Times, John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, said that the Pentagon, aid agencies and the State Department must quickly evaluate these projects to determine whether the billions being spent in Afghanistan right now will yield the desired results or not. Many projects are simply not sustainable, he said – and continuing to spend money on them results not just in a wasted fortune, but very real risks to nearly 70,000 American soldiers who are still there.

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My Comment: I look forward to the day when someone says NO MORE!

Taliban Kidnap 9 Foreigners After Helicopter Is Forced Down

Taliban Captures 10 Civilians In Afghanistan -- Deutsche Welle

Taliban insurgents have abducted 10 people in Afghanistan after a helicopter made an emergency landing. Eight Turks and their Afghan and Russian pilots were on the civilian helicopter.

The helicopter made an emergency landing in strong winds and heavy rain in a Taliban-controlled area south of Kabul, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border with Pakistan. A spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the passengers and pilots were in good health.

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More News On The Taliban Kidnapping 9 Foreigners

Taliban take 11 hostages, including 8 Turks, after emergency helicopter landing in Afghanistan -- Washington Post/AP
Taliban capture 10 after chopper makes emergency landing -- CNN
Taliban capture foreigners from chopper in Afghanistan -- AFP
Taliban Press No Demands Yet for Captured Helicopter Crew -- RIA Novosti
Ankara 'in intensive talks' with Kabul over kidnapped Turks -- Daily Star
Taliban seize international hostages from helicopter -- Christian Science Monitor
All 10 on helicopter forced down in Afghanistan are in good health -Turkey -- Reuters

Karzai - Hegel News Conference Cancelled Over Security Fears In Afghanistan

JALALABAD BRIEFING

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks to the press in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, March 9, 2013. Hagel traveled to Afghanistan on his first trip as the 24th defense secretary to visit U.S. troops, NATO leaders and Afghan counterparts. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Hagel-Karzai Talks Canceled In Kabul -- Radio Free Europe

A meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul has been canceled, reportedly due to security reasons.

Hagel is making his first visit to Afghanistan since becoming U.S. defense secretary.

Hagel and Karzai had been expected to discuss issues including Karzai’s recent order demanding the withdrawal of U.S. Special Operations forces from Wardak Province over allegations that Afghans working with the commandos have been involved in abuse and torture.

The agenda was also expected to include security issues connected to the planned withdrawal of all foreign combat forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Withdrawals of tens of thousands of forces are getting under way this year.

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Update #1: Security threat forces cancelation of Hagel, Karzai press conference in Kabul -- Washington Post/AP
Update #2: U.S. defense chief's Afghan news conference canceled over security fears -- Reuters

My Comment: More proof that the security situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating.

How Much Is A Human Life Worth In Afghanistan?

Cost Of Life In Afghanistan: A Few Hundred Dollars The Norm -- Crickey

The family of two Afghan boys killed in a mission involving Australian troops is likely to receive less than $2000 — appropriate compensation for the country.

The family of two young Afghan brothers killed in a mission involving Australian troops is likely to receive less than $2000 in compensation. But that figure is appropriate for Afghan culture and similar to other compensation paid, experts tell Crikey.

Last week the brothers — both under seven — were mistaken for Taliban insurgents while collecting firewood and caring for their animals and were shot. The incident is still being investigated, although the Australian Defence Force and the International Security Assistance Force apologised for their deaths and Defence Minister Stephen Smith says the family will receive compensation. Smith told ABC’s 7.30 last night:

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Update: Compensation to be paid to families of two boys killed in Afghanistan 'tragedy' -- The Australian

My Comment: News reports like this only reinforces my opinion that we have become one of the problems and that we should get out of Afghanistan without delay.

For U.S. Troops In Afghanistan The Politics Of Sequestration Seem Remote

A coalition force member communicates on his radio while maintaining security during a movement to establish a temporary patrol base with Afghan special forces in Herat province, Afghanistan, Feb. 17, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau

For Troops in Afghanistan, Sequester Seems Far Away -- Wall Street Journal

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — While Washington braces for across-the-board spending cuts to kick in, it’s business as usual for troops serving in Afghanistan — and in Helmand province, the politics of sequestration seem remote.

Here in southwestern Afghanistan, the big task is “surge recovery,” military-speak for the steady withdrawal of forces. Helmand province, Afghanistan’s opium-growing heartland, was once the focal point of an intense counterinsurgency campaign: At the height of the war in late 2011, more than 21,000 Marines were operating here.

Today, only 7,000 Marines have boots on the ground in Helmand. Since last March, the Marines have closed a total of about 145 bases, from small combat outposts to airfields. Some have been handed over to Afghan forces, and others simply been bulldozed to the ground.

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My Comment: I live in Canada .... so I am also fortunate to see sequestration from a "remote location". Unfortunately .... the reality is that what happens in the U.S. will impact the world, and America's financial and debt mess is impacting everyone.

Navy Vet Pays Homage To Afghan War Dead

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.

Navy Vet Writes Names to Remember Afghanistan Fallen -- NBC

Ron White hopes people will remember those killed overseas and help those coming home.

A moving tribute took shape on Thursday in downtown Fort Worth, one name at a time.

Local Navy veteran Ron White spent the day writing the name of every service member, CIA agent and civilian contractor killed during the war in Afghanistan. That's more than 2,200 names and 7,000 words, when rank is included, spanning the 50-foot-long wall that is seven-feet tall.

"The sacrifice is huge, it's big and it's real," White said.

White spent the day in Burnett Plaza, just across from where he lives in downtown, writing the names so that people remember those who gave their lives for our country.

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Update #1: Navy vet pays homage to Afghan war dead by writing all 2,200 names on a wall — from memory -- Stars and Stripes/Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Update #2: Man memorized 2,200 fallen soldier names -- FOX News

My Comment: A moving tribute.

Kabul’s ‘Car Guantanamo'

Kabul traffic officers among cars and motorbikes seized during often routine traffic stops for violations that include invalid licenses and out-of-date registrations. Bryan Denton for The New York Times

In Kabul’s ‘Car Guantánamo,’ Autos Languish And Trust Dies -- New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — On the northern edge of Kabul, down a road riddled with mammoth potholes, is a secure site that bears all the marks of a prison: high stone walls topped with concertina wire, police officers barking into walkie-talkies, forsaken visitors pacing the compound’s edge, waiting for a sign of hope.

Residents here call it Car Guantánamo.

Behind these walls are thousands of cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles and even bicycles, lined up in vehicular purgatory after falling afoul of the Kabul traffic police. Things that have landed cars in the slammer: illegal left turns, parking violations, involvement in fender-benders and, perhaps most egregious, failure to pay a bribe.

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My Comment: I had a similar experience when visiting friends in Belarus. Even though it happened 20 years ago .... I am still p____!

Is Afghanistan's Kam-Air Involved In Drug Smuggling?

Kam Air (file photo)

Afghan Corruption, Opium, And The Strange Case Of Kam Air -- Dan Murphy, Christian Science Monitor

Kam Air, an airline owned by a politically-connected Afghan businessman, was blacklisted by the US military in Afghanistan for opium smuggling. Then the Afghan government complained.

In late January, the US military blacklisted Afghanistan's Kam Air from winning contracts with the US in Afghanistan, with the head of a US military anticorruption unit asserting that the airline was involved in bulk opium smuggling on commercial flights to Tajikistan.

The decision touched off a flurry of backroom lobbying, given the political connections of Kam Air's owner and the shadow it cast over efforts to merge the private airline carrier with the struggling Afghan government-owned airline Ariana.

The result? A few weeks later, the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF) issued a terse statement announcing that Kam Air would be removed from the blacklist pending the results of an Afghan government investigation into the drug smuggling charges.

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More News On Afghanistan's Kam Air

US military suspends ban on Afghan airline after blacklisting caused diplomatic turbulence -- Washington Post/AP
U.S. Military Suspends Ban on Afghan Airline -- New York Times
U.S. Suspends Afghan Airline Ban -- Radio Free Europe
Kam air row: US suspends ban on Afghan airline -- BBC
US suspends Kam Air ban as Afghanistan probes opium claim -- Global Post/AFP

Biggest Ever Pizza Delivery?

Anyone call for a takeaway: U.S servicemen in Afghanistan are to get 21,000 deep dish takeaways for Superbowl Sunday flown all the way from Chicago

Biggest Ever Pizza delivery? U.S Servicemen In Afghanistan To Get 21,000 Deep Dish Takeaways For Superbowl Sunday… Flown All The Way From Chicago -- Daily Mail

* Promise to 'ensure the pizzas arrive fresh and in excellent condition'
* They will travel on a plane from Illinois to Afghanistan and Kuwait

They may not be able to kick back with their friends and watch the game with a beer on the sofa, but U.S servicemen will still be able to enjoy the traditional pizza on superbowl Sunday.

Those serving in Afghanistan are to get 21,000 deep dish takeaways for superbowl Sunday flown all the way from Chicago.

Pizzas 4 Patriots is teaming up with the international express shipping provider, DHL Express to ensure the troops get their slice of America's biggest pizza day.

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Update #1: Pizzas Touchdown in Afghanistan for Super Bowl -- Military.com
Update #2: Pizzas 4 Patriots and DHL Express Score a Touchdown for U.S. Troops -- Market Watch

My Comment: The pizzas are nice, but I suspect that most soldiers in Afghanistan would prefer doing this.

How The Cell Phone Has Changed Afghanistan

Let Freedom Ring: Gen. Cartwright Says 4G Is America's Lasting Legacy In Afghanistan (Updated) -- Foreign Policy

What will the longest-lasting and perhaps most important legacy of the United States' 11-year war in Afghanistan be? A 4G cell phone network capable of supporting smartphones. That's right, according to retired Marine Corps Gen. James "Hoss" Cartwright, who stepped down as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in August 2011, smartphones are the most important thing the West has introduced to Afghanistan.

"As we leave Afghanistan, the thing that will most affect that culture over the long term is leaving behind that network and those cell phones because they are talking across mountains and social barriers that heretofore have never been crossed by that culture," said Cartwright today at the Center for Strategic and International Studies during a speech on how information technologies are changing war. "I don't know where that's going to take them, but the introduction of that technology is probably far more lasting than anything else that we're going to do in Afghanistan and far more influential."

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My Comment: I am 100% in agreement.