Congress growing more wary about corruption in Afghanistan, Sen. Kerry says

[maddezmom]

Source: WaPo

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), one of the most stalwart backers of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, says Congress is growing increasingly concerned about corruption in that country and that he plans to raise the issue directly with President Hamid Karzai during a visit to Kabul this week.

"The strongest message President Karzai could send is one that elevates the credibility of his government, and that he is to be viewed as a genuine reformer," Kerry said in an interview. "Right now, he is not, and we have to be concerned about this."

The worries have been prompted by a series of congressional, military and independent reports documenting graft and bribery at every level in Afghanistan, problems that have grown worse as the cost of the war has escalated. President Obama raised the corruption issue during an hour-long videoconference with Karzai on Friday, the White House said.

Senior administration officials have been especially concerned about Karzai's move earlier this month to assert control over U.S.-backed investigations into high-level government corruption.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/14/AR2010081402721.html?hpid=topnews

[Mnemosyne]

1. And it only took them 8 years to figure it out... KnR n/t

[Buns_of_Fire]

6. Congresscritters don't seem to be the sharpest knives in the drawer

I think what Congress REALLY needs to investigate is what it is in the water in D.C. that turns semi-rational people into complete idiots.

[Mnemosyne]

9. Pod people?

It may be what's up over half their noses.

Something has been terribly wrong for quite awhile, terribly wrong...

:hi:

[dkf]

2. We are defending and enabling a corrupt government.

And spending blood and treasure doing so. What a disgrace.

[ShockediSay]

3. Who are we to talk? Look at our Congress, our lobbyists, our big corporations

and Wall Street, especially the people at the top of these pyramids, sucking up the wealth of our nation and sitting on piles of cash while so many Americans are going jobless, homeless, broke.

Look at Wrangell, Waters, Abramoff, if you have any doubt that power corrupts.

Look at our small businesses, who create 85% of our jobs & can't do it because they can't the capital to expand. Where is it? Look at our Congress, our lobbyists, our big corporations and Wall Street, sucking up the wealth of our nation and sitting on piles of cash while so many Americans are going jobless, homeless, broke.

Karzai's a piker compared to our behemoths of cash and their means of acquisition.

[Dr.Phool]

4. They found an oilfield. We can overlook the corruption.

:sarcasm:

Actually, it's just what we want.

[EFerrari]

5. Bingo. n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Why? It doesn't want the competition?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

8. Pot, meet kettle

Corruption? In government?

We need more harrumphing!

:hi: