The White House Budget Office estimates that it will cost about $1 million for each additional soldier sent to Afghanistan. So, a surge of 30,000 to 40,000 troops -- which is what Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal is recommending -- would add $30 billion to $40 billion a year to the deficit.
At the Pentagon, the comptroller disagrees, estimating the cost of deploying and maintaining one soldier in Afghanistan for a full year at $500,000. So, bottom line would be $15 billion to $20 billion.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Corruption and waste in Afghanistan
Pratap Chatterjee writes about the corruption in Afghanistan. For instance, VP Fahim's two brothers have a company that gets big contracts for reconstruction:
Fahim's brothers, notably Abdul Hasin, started to build a business empire -- and not long after, good fortune began to rain down on the family in the form of lucrative "reconstruction" contracts.
This leads to the waste of much international aid.
Fahim's brothers, notably Abdul Hasin, started to build a business empire -- and not long after, good fortune began to rain down on the family in the form of lucrative "reconstruction" contracts.
This leads to the waste of much international aid.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
US pays Taliban
The US indirectly pays the Taliban through paying trucking companies in Afghanistan to move their supplies. The trucking companies have to pay the Taliban (and warlords, regional powerbrokers, etc.) to ensure safe passage wherever they go in Afghanistan.
Private security companies are also hired for security of the convoys, but the security firms don't really protect convoys of US military goods here because they simply can't; they need the Taliban's co-operation.
The Taliban/insurgents make good money out of this:
"It's a big part of their income," one of the top Afghan government security officials admits. In fact, US military officials in Kabul estimate that a minimum of 10% of the Pentagon's logistics contracts – hundreds of millions of dollars – consists of payments to insurgents.
As a military official in Kabul explained contracting in Afghanistan overall, "We understand that across the board, 10-20% goes to the insurgents. My intel [intelligence] guy would say it is closer to 10%. Generally, it is happening in logistics."
In other news, about 2000 civilians have been killed so far in 2009, more than in earlier years.
More civilians have died in attacks by Taliban insurgents than by aerial strikes and military operations by pro-government Afghan and international forces: According to UNAMA, 1,397 were killed by anti-government elements, 465 by pro-government forces and 165 by other actors.
Private security companies are also hired for security of the convoys, but the security firms don't really protect convoys of US military goods here because they simply can't; they need the Taliban's co-operation.
The Taliban/insurgents make good money out of this:
"It's a big part of their income," one of the top Afghan government security officials admits. In fact, US military officials in Kabul estimate that a minimum of 10% of the Pentagon's logistics contracts – hundreds of millions of dollars – consists of payments to insurgents.
As a military official in Kabul explained contracting in Afghanistan overall, "We understand that across the board, 10-20% goes to the insurgents. My intel [intelligence] guy would say it is closer to 10%. Generally, it is happening in logistics."
In other news, about 2000 civilians have been killed so far in 2009, more than in earlier years.
More civilians have died in attacks by Taliban insurgents than by aerial strikes and military operations by pro-government Afghan and international forces: According to UNAMA, 1,397 were killed by anti-government elements, 465 by pro-government forces and 165 by other actors.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Blackwater offered bribes, still in Iraq
Blackwater top executives offered bribes to Iraqi officials to reduce criticism of shootings in 2007 in which Blackwater killed 17 Iraqis.
And US government officials were aware of those plans of bribery: A senior State Department official said that American diplomats were not aware of any payoffs to Iraqi officials. Ms. Butenis, now the United States ambassador to Sri Lanka, declined to comment for this article. But other State Department officials confirmed that embassy officials had met with Blackwater executives to encourage them to compensate the victims of Nisour Square.
The State Department replaced Blackwater with a rival company in May, but Blackwater still does some work for the department in Iraq on a temporary basis.
And US government officials were aware of those plans of bribery: A senior State Department official said that American diplomats were not aware of any payoffs to Iraqi officials. Ms. Butenis, now the United States ambassador to Sri Lanka, declined to comment for this article. But other State Department officials confirmed that embassy officials had met with Blackwater executives to encourage them to compensate the victims of Nisour Square.
The State Department replaced Blackwater with a rival company in May, but Blackwater still does some work for the department in Iraq on a temporary basis.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
More US soldiers kill at bases
Rolling Stone reports on US soldiers killing other soldiers at Fort Carson.
The point of the article is that it's not only muslims at Fort Hood who kill people when they return from battle.
The point of the article is that it's not only muslims at Fort Hood who kill people when they return from battle.
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