Survey of Afghans points to rampant corruption in government

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Survey of Afghans points to rampant corruption in government
By Ernesto Londoño
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, July 8, 2010

KABUL -- Corruption has soared in recent years as the United States and other international donors have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Afghanistan, giving the Taliban a powerful tool to delegitimize the Afghan government, according to a new national survey.

The survey, which was scheduled to be released Thursday by the Kabul-based anti-corruption group Integrity Watch Afghanistan, suggests that Afghans see their country's police and judicial officials as the most corrupt in the government -- a troubling finding at a time when the U.S. mission here relies heavily on bolstering the credibility and professionalism of Afghan security forces.

It also shows that corruption disproportionately affects poor Afghans and that it is more entrenched in rural areas, where NATO forces are trying to weaken the Taliban and institute government control.

The authors say the survey provides the most comprehensive look to date at the scope and dynamics of petty corruption in Afghanistan, drawing from interviews with about 6,500 people conducted late last year in all but two of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.

American lawmakers and U.S. commanders have grown increasingly concerned about Afghanistan's endemic corruption, which they see as a growing threat to international military and aid efforts at a time when support for the war is waning in the United States and NATO capitals.