Pentagon spends $43 million to build gas station, won't say why

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Christian Science Monitor


Pentagon spends $43 million to build gas station, won't say why

Paid for by US taxpayers, this Afghan gas station costs more than 140 times that of a similar project in Pakistan. So far the Pentagon is refusing to explain the costs.

Christian Science Monitor
By Michael D. Regan
6 hours ago

A gas station in Afghanistan sponsored by the US government cost tens of millions in tax dollars to construct, but so far the federal government is refusing to say why.

A federal watchdog report showed the natural gas filling station totaled a whopping $43 million to build, a rate far exceeding a similar Pakistani project that cost just $500,000, or about $306,000 at current exchange rates, The Washington Post reports.

Overhead costs along for the project in Afghanistan’s came in at $30 million, a figure that remains unaccountable because of an uncooperative federal agency, according to John Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

His report released this week cited a flurry of unwarranted costs that he said could be criminal. But the Pentagon has apparently stonewalled attempts by his outfit to obtain information on the spending, Sopko said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-spends-43-million-build-gas-station-wont-212612746.html

[forest444]

1. "Won't say why" is Pentagonese for:

'Cause the contractor who got the job has friends in all the right places.

[FLson]

11. And/or

the CIA got a big fat chunk for black operations. You'd be surprised how many "private contractors" once worked in Air Force intelligence and the like.

[forest444]

13. I don't doubt it. It's no secret that's what explains the $100-a-piece bolts and $600 toilet seats.

But more importantly, welcome to DU FLson!

May it be as much fun for you as it has for me.

[Midnight Writer]

14. I suspect you are right

I am currently reading Tim Weiner's Legacy of Ashes, a history of our CIA. According to this book, it is common for Defense funds to be redirected to covert CIA Black Ops, or other military intelligence operations.

It is clearly a payoff to somebody. Probably not Planned Parenthood, because our Congress would be all over that.

[Drahthaardogs]

21. Or, maybe you cannot have covert operations and transparent accounting...

The dumbest law on our books. Of course they did not spend 43 million on a gas station. They had to justify the accounting someway though....

[azmom]

2. K&R

[NotHardly]

3. DoD/Pentagon accountability ... oxymoron phrase and expecation (lol... never accountable to anyone)

I would like to know why those persons and agencies and sub-agencies, and contractors, who have stolen, hid, lied about, ripped off, banked monies in the conflicts the US has been involved in within the last 20 years have never been mentioned, let alone prosecuted... and yes, I mean Halliburton too... and every other sub-contracting Eagle egg stealing sob in the world, has not been reviewed, brought to court, brought to justice for the billions and billions of hard earned USA citizen dollars. \

WTH. Where are the courts, where is the DoJ, where is Congress, where is my country that does not ask questions, get information, protect and defend its citizens, and help reclaim the dignity of its government and people? Where are they? Where are we? Where are you?

The military consumes 47%($) of our budget and no one is investigated, sent to trial, prosecuted, jail for wasting the $$$ that is squeezed from us and kept from health care, social services, food programs, poverty prevention, education, higher education, space exploration, medical research... hell,. just simple research for stuff that works for everyone.

Is Congress waiting for end times in the hopes they can get a day off or say "I told you so..." and so in the mean time, they like folks to suffer for their religion or lack thereof?

[haikugal]

8. Wow...keep talking!! nt

[JimDandy]

17. Righteous Rant! n/t

[avaistheone1]

4. Are there any watchdogs in Congress who complain about these matters any more?

k&r

[cstanleytech]

6. Oh there are probably some who complain but the problem isnt complaining about it the problem is the

ones who are supposed to enforce the law in this country in general wont do shit to stop it because they are on the take.

[dlk]

5. Posh Afghan Gas Station

Apparently, this gas station's restroom has the solid gold toilet seats!

[bananas]

7. Overhead costs ... for an underground bunker? nt

[DJ13]

9. My thought as well

Theres definitely more than a gas station there.

[FLson]

12. Maybe not there, but other places assuredly

Black operations ain't cheap. And it's getting harder and harder to finance them since we went into Afghanistan.

[montanacowboy]

10. How about that 1.4 billion dollar blimp

shot down, 1.4 billion dollars, shot down

got through by one of the joint chiefs who wanted it, then he went to work for them

USA USA USA

[jtuck004]

15. Do they hire Americans to run the station and then complain that they are taking all the jobs? n/t

[Monk06]

16. Let's see, 20K for constuction materials, 10 k for labor and maybe 42.95 Million to hide the drug

and gun deal and Bob's your uncle

[markmyword]

18. Someone Should Be Prosecuted!

Americans are suffering, the middle class is disappearing, there are more Americans in poverty.

Many government programs are being cut or shut down. Food stamps reduced, day care, head start, health care for the poor, a government making 85 billion dollars in interest on student loans.

No Social Security increases this year, but there's an increase in Medicare payments for seniors.

We're being taxed and taxed , until we have nothing to live on and yet the Pentagon
WASTED $43 million on a gas station in Afghanistan for nothing!

Why should we pay taxes when there is such corruption in the Pentagon?
A black hole to hide money diverted to the CIA?

How many schools could we build? How many teachers could we hire, so that classroom sizes were smaller (20 or less)? How much needed infrastructure could we build? Federally funded nursing homes, so families don't go bankrupt trying to take care of an elderly parent! FREE college and forgiveness of ALL college loans!

Someone MUST be held accountable for STEALING from the American people.
Bernie Sanders is right, we need a PEOPLE'S REVOLUTION, to help America get back to its core values!!

[PeoViejo]

20. "A black hole to hide money diverted to the CIA?"

Sounds about right. I've seen it first-hand. Usually, the money is used for activities that would not be approved, such as bribing officials, protection money and such. The argument is about getting things done, and in a place like Afghanistan, Cash is King.

[postulater]

19. This is the Big Gubmint Paul Ryan should be addressing.

[Tracer]

22. The answer?

On the local news last night, they explained that the gas station didn't dispense gasoline, but instead --- natural gas. Supposedly, some of the money was to refit cars to accept natural gas to the tune of $700 per car.

I don't know if this report is accurate or not.

[Javaman]

23. hey that's okay, they are charging $85 per gallon

[Octafish]

24. Stupid peasants.

Pretty soon they'll be demanding, "More?"