Paying Off Our Enemies in Afghanistan?
Topic: Beltway Outsider, Dept. of Defense17. December 2009 |
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Here’s a story about the Afghanistan War that should get more attention: the Washington Post’s Walter Pincus reports that U.S. trucking companies hired by the Pentagon are allegedly paying off warlords and the Taliban to ensure a safe passage on their deliveries. These companies have made thousands of trips from Bagram air base to military bases in Afghanistan delivering fuel, weapons and ammunition to U.S. soldiers. However, it appears that instead of U.S. soldiers sufficiently protecting these deliveries, the companies cut corners by paying off the very people the U.S. is supposed to be fighting against.
Maybe this will gain traction as a scandal. A House sub-committee is investigating, which may not seem like a big deal — except that the House will likely debate supplemental funding for Afghanistan next month. Some of the very Democrats who question pouring billions more into Afghanistan are now probing these truck companies.





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