Follow the Money Trail - America’s Phantom Aid in Afghanistan ?
While USA goes Broke 83% of U.S. government aid money for Afghanistan remains in the U.S. or in the pockets of U.S. citizens
by: Matthew J. Nasuti, former U.S. State Department Official and U.S. Air Force Captain Reuters reported on April 23, 2007 that Peter Bergen, a senior fellow at the New American Foundation, had testified before the U.S. Congress that 86% of American Government aid to Afghan
More..istan is “phantom” in that it never reaches the Afghan people. Ann Jones, an American aid worker, in a September 3, 2006, article for the San Francisco Chronicle titled: “How U.S. Dollars Disappear in Afghanistan,” estimated that:
83% of American aid to Afghanistan is “phantom aid.”
The term “Phantom Aid” was coined by the NGO ActionAid in 2005 to describe how international aid is siphoned off by donors before it ever arrives in the recipient country.
Former Afghan Planning Minister Ramazan Bashardost told Dominion reporter Gwalgen Geordie Dent, for her February 26, 2008 article titled: “Canada’s Phantom Menace in Afghanistan” that donor funds received from the West since 2001 have not resulted in any improvement in the lives of the Afghan people.
One of the many forms of “phantom” aid arises due to the insistence of entities such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) that it, and not the appropriate Afghan ministry, must directly manage the aid. Once USAID begins a project, it usually assigns the work to one of its pre-selected American contractors instead of seeking the most cost-effective international company. These pre-selected contractors are referred to in the United States as “beltway bandits.” They are given that title because they have their headquarters inside of the Washington, D.C. beltway and because they receive U.S. government contracts due to their political connections. Once these overpriced bandits enter the picture, they use Afghan aid funds directly or indirectly to pay for:
- Executive salaries in the United States,
- Home office expenses in the United States
- Technical advisors who work in the United States
- Unneeded project managers
- Inflated salaries for foreigners to work in Afghanistan
- Prime contractors making a profit on subcontractors
- Subcontractors making a profit on second-tier subcontractors
- USAID subcontractors in Turkey and India
- Supplies and materials purchased in Turkey and India
- Foreign security contractors from Nepal and South Africa
- Luxury homes being rented in Kabul
- Alcohol consumed by foreigners in Kabul
- Brothels in Kabul that cater to foreigners
Much of this money is phantom because it is not expended in Afghanistan for Afghans. Less..
Added: Oct 30 2009 In: leak
Recorded on: Oct 29 2009
By: AnotherLeaker 
- Views: 571 |
- Votes: 0 |
- Recommendations: 0 |
- Comments: 11
Comments - sort by newest to oldest
this is happening on hussein's watch. impeach the chimp, now!
Posted Oct-30-2009 by "Amusing" (R)
So far as the money trail matters, it's probably all just as well. Americans build roads, schools, and feed thousands of Afghans every day, yet the impression i get is the long-term impact of all of it is minimal. "Infidels -Bad- leave!"
Posted Oct-30-2009 by "Hitler_Is_Amazing" Premium
i agree..i think that money is better spent here. along with foreigners who have no bus. over there
Posted Oct-30-2009 by "absu69" (R)
Worst part is...the Taliban fighters are outnumbered 12 to 1 by American and Afghan army. We still can't beat this token force.
Very sad.
Posted Oct-30-2009 by "EXCONservative" (R)
I guess you forgot about the 7 years under Bush? Long term memory loss? Bush blew it. Obama's trying to give it one last chance to work.
It will fail though. Day late dollar short.
Posted Oct-30-2009 by "EXCONservative" (R)
If 30 of your countrymen (woman and children) were dying every single day from a foreign occupation...you'd get fed up pretty quick too.
Or would you even?
Posted Oct-30-2009 by "EXCONservative" (R)
I guess you forgot about the 7 years under Bush? Long term memory loss? Bush blew it. Obama's trying to give it one last chance to work.
It will fail though. Day late dollar short.
lol! you forgot something... demoncraps are imploding and rats are jumping ship. get out while you can. the monkey is only a figure head for pelosi and fwank. that's why he pauses so long during speeches and "making" decisions. they are a little slow at giving him his orders. no matter how you try to blame President Bush, it all boils down to demoncrap failure to handle their business correctly.
Posted Oct-30-2009 by "Amusing" (R)
If 30 of your countrymen (woman and children) were dying every single day from a foreign occupation...you'd get fed up pretty quick too.
Or would you even?
Of course i would. The people here have known nothing but war for 30 years. At least US and NATO offer some hope and progress. Despite all of our good intentions, we tried the movie in Vietnam and the results will likely be similar. Do the people don't want us there? If not, we ought to declare victory and leave.
Posted Oct-30-2009 by "Hitler_Is_Amazing" Premium
typical.
Posted Oct-30-2009 by "bad_boy_bubby" (B)
If 30 of your countrymen (woman and children) were dying every single day from a foreign occupation...you'd get fed up pretty quick too.
Or would you even?
Of course i would. The people here have known nothing but war for 30 years. At least US and NATO offer some hope and progress. Despite all of our good intentions, we tried the movie in Vietnam and the results will likely be similar. Do the people don't want us there? If not, we ought to declare victory and leave.
had the American government learned anything at all from the Vietnam War or the Russian invasion of Afghanistan it wouldn't have occupied Afghanistan to begin with
Posted Oct-30-2009 by "lasrever" Premium
If 30 of your countrymen (woman and children) were dying every single day from a foreign occupation...you'd get fed up pretty quick too.
Or would you even?
Of course i would. The people here have known nothing but war for 30 years. At least US and NATO offer some hope and progress. Despite all of our good intentions, we tried the movie in Vietnam and the results will likely be similar. Do the people don't want us there? If not, we ought to declare victory and leave.
had the American government learned anything at all from the Vietnam War or the Russian invasion of Afghanistan it wouldn't have occupied Afghanistan to begin with
Reversal the reasons for the two wars are completely different. Its been 8 years but you do remember 9/11? The perpetrators of the 3,000 American murdered were traced to Bin Laden's Al Quaeda group, operating in Afganistan and protected by the Taliban. Pres. Bush gave them the choice, turn over Bin Laden, now, or be destroyed. The Taliban hemmed, hawed, prevaricated, and attempted to set conditions. Under the circumstances their answer could really be only yes or no. The taliban chose "NO" and since we'd been attacked, they chose their own destruction, for choosing to protect Bin laden and Al Quaeda - remember all of that now?
Posted Nov-1-2009 by "Hitler_Is_Amazing" Premium