Rampant corruption in Afghanistan is key issue: top general

By Joe Byrne
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 -- 9:48 pm
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The top commanding officer in Afghanistan has revealed a belief that “rampant government corruption” has given the Taliban and al-Qaeda an edge in the war. The conclusion came in a recent secret document put together by Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. officials told the Associated Press. Though the document requests more troops, it warns that more troops may not prevent the Taliban from taking back Afghanistan.

Corruption in Afghanistan became public knowledge after the presidential election in Afghanistan was revealed as rigged by independent election observers. Fraud investigations discovered that 1.1 million 'questionable votes' were given to President Hamid Karzai, and that the subtraction of these votes was enough to push Karzai below 50 percent.

Though McChrystal states that fewer troops will bring less risks, he believes that any new deployment has a high risk of failure. The report outlines three deployment options, the largest hypothetical deployment being one of 80,000 new soldiers. There are now 67,000 American troops in Afghanistan, with 1,000 more coming in December. McChrystal prefers the 'compromise' option of a 40,000 troop increase.

One U.S. military official alluded to talks with the Obama administration over whether or not it is possible to 'surge' enough troops into the country to stop crucial corruption. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity with the Associated Press because they were not authorized to discuss publicly.

President Obama announced today that he would decide on a war strategy and a fixed number of troops “in the coming weeks.” His focus is on “making sure we're doing a good job in building capacity on the civilian side."

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Story comments are below...

  • Druthers
    It looks as though the problem is the same world-wide, starting here on our doorstep.

    Look at Congress.
  • JPMP
    The question is posed: Is it "possible to 'surge' enough troops into the country to stop crucial corruption"?

    Doesn't anyone remember that the corrupt Afghan government is precisely the one WE put into power?
  • David Michael
    Bushes and Stand Down Cheney's legacy... Corruption, War profiteering, War Crimes! Helped stage 911 and punished people in other countries that had nothing to do with it! Murderers!
  • ghostcommander
    Corruption in Afghanistan has been known about since the very beginning of our involvement and the installation of Karzai as leader of Afghanistan by the cheney/puppet bush mis-administration. Musharraf and his Pakistan cronies were also corrupt--they received $10,000,000,000 from the USA for their pseudo help against the Taliban and Al Qaeda, but very little money was used in that effort. The war on the Iraqi's, in Afghanistan led to massive corruption with the war profiteering friendly Fascist Criminal Enterprise of the pseudo republicans.
  • shag11
    We shouldn't be so upset in America, we do the same thing here. Eight hour waits to vote, purging voters from rolls just because they moved, armed guards outside of polling places to scare legal voters, shutting down the count in Florida 2000 by having John Bolton and other thugs, yelling and screaming outside the office where the count was going on. Yea, we've a rich history of election fraud here.
  • quincunx
    Corruption? They should throw more money at it instead of men, something a corrupt fellow would understand. But then, how many men(and women) does it take to CIA Karzai out of the country or JFK him from a grassy knoll? Before they do anything I think they should as for a second opinion.
  • texasaggie
    “rampant government corruption” has given the Taliban and al-Qaeda an edge in the war. "

    And this is in a secret document!!! Why isn't it the lead article and cover page of DUH!!! magazine?
  • David Michael
    Das Leader Bushes and Dick the Stand Down Cheney's legacy... Corruption, War Profiteering, War Crimes! Staging 911 and then punishing people for something they never did! Murderers!
  • profmarcus
    "Corruption in Afghanistan became public knowledge after the presidential election in Afghanistan was revealed as rigged by independent election observers..."

    ferchrissake... you have GOT to be kidding me...! i'm sitting here in kabul typing this and corruption is as pervasive as the dust in the air... i first came here a year ago march and the out-of-control corruption is and has been a topic of conversation at least 5-6 or more times a day... i can't even BELIEVE that any responsible journalist could make such a statement with a straight face...

    http://takeitpersonally.blogspot.com/
  • nader paul kucinich gravel
    Pat Tillman
    Vietnam Redux
    Stanley McChrystal

    Anderson Baldwin Carter Choate
    Clemente Gonzalez Gravel Grayson
    Kaptur Kucinich McKinney Nader
    Paul Perot Sheehan Ventura
  • shablon
    US occupation is corrupt itself. The only reason this war is actively pursued is for the benefit of the multinational corporations, arms manufacturers and drug dealers, including CIA. How can we demand honesty from the Afghani government when we are corrupt to the core ourselves?
  • Derestanne
    I am considering that for President Obama the Afghan "political corruption" has become the necessary legitimate excuse to bring all of our troops home! I doubt very much that Obama wants to continue this war. The Soviets had to withdraw in disgrace when they invaded, there is substantial US public opposition to sending more troops to Afghanistan and Obama knows he doesn't need yet another public relations mess.
  • Orley Allen
    That's funny. We're fighting corruption in Afghanistan. The record is crystal clear. Third world civilian casualties are the bread and butter of the United State's rapacious war machine. This monstrosity requires human bullet and bomb receptacles and it will have them, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq or somewhere else. The nation-states our military is constantly "building" are the graveyards we leave behind everywhere we go.
  • Felix
    100,000 more troops or 500,000 more troops--You can't occupy a country and its citizens not do something about it. Look at what happened to the Germans in WWII and every occupation force since then.

    What do any of these great commanders and politicians think we can do there?

    I say pack it up and get out! NOW!
  • harrylord
    Exporting the kleptocracy via global terror, itʻs the war crime economy to die for!
  • PunchDrunkLove
    one minute they say al qeada isn't in afghanistan anymore, and now they say they're gaining the edge thanks to all our quisling governments corruption ?? .

    folks, were over there fighting regular afghans, they understandably don't want us there, just like you wouldn't want afghan soldiers occupying your country .

    OUT NOW! .
  • Satan
    After bombing the crap out of a country almost longer than any other in U.S. history, I think the general will find that people will do everything possible to rip off the U.S., take advantage of the U.S., feign support for the U.S., kill U.S. soldiers and seek revenge against the U.S. until the day they day. If they bombed my house, or even the house across the street, I think I'd feel the same way.

    The entire pretext for bombing the shit out of Afghanistan for this long is what's really corrupt, our forces seek out and target the families of Taliban commanders, we're killing there wives and children, we target them. The U.S. does it intentionally, because without lots of peasants to hate the U.S., what reason do we have for being there anyway. Oldest scam in the book.

    As for 'the surge', I've never seen any credible numbers that the surge did anything in Iraq but cause fewer Americans to die by a little bit. Iraqi's are dying at the same rate as they ever were, before, during or after 'the surge'. A media blackout was more like it.
  • Mr. Neutron
    Huh, I'm very surprised.

    Usually when the U.S. installs a puppet regime of traitorous collaborators, they are very hardworking, honest, good hearted people who only want what is best.
    For their American overlords.
    "Corruption" makes it sound like the collaborators are only in it for their personal gain.

    That makes no sense at all.
  • disappointed voter
    Democracy is a pipe dream, especially in a place as backwards as Afghanistan.

    Hell, look at how rotten it has become here! And it's sure to be even worse there.
  • disappointed voter
    In order to battle corruption and stabilize the society, we will have to take over the government. It will take at least 20 years, maybe more, of enforced honesty in government to remake that place and give it any hope of success.
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