Pentagon: US to look at own role in Afghan graft

[laststeamtrain]

Source: AP

Pentagon: US to look at own role in Afghan graft

By LOLITA C. BALDOR (AP) – 1 hour ago

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — The United States will do its part to reduce corruption in Afghanistan by examining its own contracts and projects, even as it is demanding the same from the Afghan government, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.

He said the U.S. can exert the most leverage when it is signing the checks.

"The place for us to start is to deal with corruption that may be associated with contracts we're letting or work that we're having done and development projects that we are undertaking in partnership with others including with the Afghans," Gates said.

<snip>

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has promised to do more to head off corruption that outside analysts say is rampant. But the newly re-elected leader has also chafed under international criticism of corruption in his government. He has pointed out that the flood of development cash into his country over the past eight years has promoted some of the graft.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iROeATG4tpyG_AU7ZpyUq-DFiJ2QD9C3FAU00

[EFerrari]

1. The problem with Afghanistan is that their corrupt @ssholes

are smarter than ours. :)

[gratuitous]

2. Some low level grunt will get tossed in the brig

And the problem from the military's standpoint will be totally resolved! Ho, ho, ho, it's magic.

[No Elephants]

3. About damned time. I hope they "look at" the higher ups, though, not only some equivalent of Englund

[Mari333]

4. STOP SIGNING CHECKS

and get the hell out of there, you idiots.

[mbperrin]

6. Exactly!

It's that simple.

[Solly Mack]

5. k/r

that got a laugh in my house