'Pervasive Corruption Fuels Deep Anger In Afghanistan', Chicago Tribune, 25 November 2008
EXCERPT: "Ramzan Bashardost drives a beat-up black 1991 Suzuki with a cracked windshield and often sleeps in a tent—habits hardly befitting a respected member of parliament. His relatives think he is crazy. But Bashardost, 46, now running for president, said he is making a point against persistent corruption in the Afghan government. He said he has turned down free land and fancy vehicles offered to officials. He even rejected a free couch. 'In the Afghan administration now, money is the law,' said Bashardost, the former planning minister. 'When you have money here, you can do anything. Afghanistan is the only country in the world where corruption is legal.' Not exactly legal, but definitely rampant. Increasingly, corruption is driving a wedge between the government and the Afghan people, who are growing more and more resentful of their leaders, experts say. And that poses an enormous challenge for President Hamid Karzai and the U.S.- and NATO-led forces intensifying their efforts to defeat a Taliban-led insurgency."
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See also:
'Rise in crime, kidnapping, top Afghans' worries', The Christian Science Monitor, 25 November 2008
'Retired general looks back on Russia's Afghan war', Los Angeles Times, 23 November 2008
'Bank cards helping Afghan police slowly shed corruption tag', The Canadian Press, 19 November 2008
Related posts:
'Poor security imperils Afghan vote, report warns', 21 November 2008
'Afghans to Karzai: you failed us', 22 October 2008
'Afghanistan must clean up corruption: Canadian DM', 24 June 2008
'Calls on Afghanistan to fight corruption, provide services', 3 June 2008
