'Corruption And Incompetence Cripple Reconstruction Effort, Say Aid Workers', The Guardian, 19 February 2009
EXCERPT: "Chronic mismanagement and profligacy are blighting reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, international aid officials have warned, wasting up to a third of the $15bn (£10.55bn) in funding already delivered and deepening local resentment towards foreign troops stationed there. Senior British, US and local aid workers have described a number of problems including bribery, profiteering, poor planning and incompetence. The overall effect has been to cripple the development effort structured under the Bush administration's insistence on an unregulated and profit-driven approach to reconstruction. The contractor said the 'original plan was to get in, prop up Karzai, kill al-Qaida, privatise all government-owned enterprises and get out. It wasn't a development project, that wasn't a concern. Development was an afterthought. The contractor, who has worked across the governance, security and development sectors of the reconstruction process, also said the lack of tangible development had hampered Nato's effort to win the support of Afghans."
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See also:
'Afghanistan: Slipping out of control', The Independent, 19 February 2009
'Gates to press NATO for help on Afghan corruption', Bloomberg, 19 February 2009
'A race against time in Afghanistan', Washington Post, 10 February 2009
Related posts:
'Pervasive corruption fuels deep anger', 25 November 2008
'"Corruption and incompetence are rampant" in Afghanistan', 22 May 2008
'Call on Afghanistan to fight corruption, provide services', 3 June 2008
'New UN report highlights widespread corruption, insecurity', 27 September 2007
