Dunno why I never thought of it before, but Hillary Clinton, with her diplomatic background in cattle futures, Whitewater and shaking down donors to her husband's library-foundation in exchange for political favors, is perfectly attuned to the needs and desires of corrupto-stans and baksheeshlands....Uh-oh.
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"Afghans Say Assistance Will Be Needed for Years," the NYT reports from the Bonn conference on Afghanistan. As in $10 billion per year until 2024, says Karzai. But there's a problem: Most of the money goes down the drain and/or into McMansions -- Mo-Mansions? --in Dubai for corrupto-klepto-baksheesho-crats.
Speaker after speaker — including Mr. Karzai — described corruption and poor governance as obstacles to the country’s development, factors that have caused reluctance among many countries about sending aid, especially given the economic crises in Europe and the United States.
“Billions of dollars have been spent in Afghanistan,” Sayed Rahim Sattar, the head of the Afghan N.G.O.’s. Coordination Bureau, told Mrs. Clinton during a roundtable discussion with members of civic groups, “but unfortunately, the expectations of the people have not been met.”
Sputtering, exhaling your soup. all of it would be lost on Sayed.
Meanwhile, a new catch-22 emerges.
From VOA's report, "Bonn Conference Offers Few Details Past 2014":
Dozens of nations, including the United States, and organizations met on Monday to come up with a road map of support beyond the withdrawal of U.S. and other international forces from Afghanistan in 2014.
They pledged to stand by Afghanistan in the 10 years after the withdrawal of foreign troops in exchange for good governance. However, none offered any specifics.
So, let's review. Afghanistan is incapabale of "good governance" but wants Western (US) life support to keep pumping at a strenuous rate of almost one billion $$ per month. The US is incapable of cutting off the Afghan life support -- it hurts so good -- but wants to see the Afghans modulate themselves into a state of "good governance."
Prediction: The money pumps on and "good governance" remains a fiscal year away, forever. Or, until we throw the bums -- the Congress and White House that calls this exercise in madness "foreign policy" -- OUT.