House Dems, Citing Corruption, Block Reconstruction Funds For Afghanistan

[cal04]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/28/house-dems-citing-corrupt_n_628126.html

The House Democrat who oversees funding for Afghanistan's redevelopment and reconstruction said on Monday that she is stripping money from her foreign aid bill in reaction to pervasive corruption. Dave Obey, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, supports the move made by subcommittee chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), according to an Obey spokesman.

Lowey cited pervasive corruption in Afghanistan as the cause for her decision to pull the funding from the appropriations bill working its way through her State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee.

"I do not intend to appropriate one more dime for assistance to Afghanistan until I have confidence that U.S. taxpayer money is not being abused to line the pockets of corrupt Afghan government officials, drug lords and terrorists," said Lowey.

A Lowey spokesman said the restrictions would not apply to direct humanitarian assistance for projects such as refugee camps, but would limit funds for USAID and the State Department, which funnel money to reconstruction efforts -- money that is often siphoned many times over.


Lowey to cut Afghan aid because of corruption concerns
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/105905-lowey-to-cut-afghan-aid-because-of-corruption-concerns

[MyNameGoesHere]

1. Lowey should have stopped right here

"I do not intend to appropriate one more dime for assistance to Afghanistan. And maybe added as long as American unemployed are getting screwed why should we pay for some idiotic war that has morphed into some bizarre new reason to fight them over there.

[izquierdista]

2. You said it!

+1000 :thumbsup:

[Robb]

3. Fucking brilliant.

Defunding reconstruction efforts worked so well in 1989. :eyes:

[MyNameGoesHere]

4. Not easy constructing schools using stinger missle crates.

Seriously? Reconstruction? Ok maybe they helped the mineral content by supplying the stingers that brought down russian helos.

[Robb]

7. It's not exactly secret history any more.

Look it up. We bought a lot more than missiles. But funding dropped off to a freaking pittance shortly after the Soviets left.

We left Afghanistan twisting in the wind, and it bit us on the ass a decade later. And this is a suggestion for a repeat performance?

Keep approving funding for the military action, but hold up the reconstruction dollars -- already a tiny sum in comparison -- to look "principled."

Horseshit.

[MyNameGoesHere]

8. If the money is being stolen

by corrupt leaders as is being reported, why should we keep giving? Why are investigations into aid theft being blocked by the puppets we prop up? You really want me to send more of my tax dollars to a money pit?

So horseshit is about the only thing you got right.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. I believe every word of it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Sadly, a stand such as this ...stands out, today.

It should be a normal behavior.
But it isn't.