Word: corrupter
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...Hindu Kush mountain range splinters much of the country into isolated valleys run by warlords, marginalizing any central government authority. And as the 219th poorest nation among the world's 229, Afghanistan simply can't afford to pay for a big military. Afghan forces today are largely slipshod and corrupt, U.S. officers who have served with them say. Technically they seem capable of doing little more than basic daytime operations, and they have yet to master the bookkeeping vital for any military force to keep track of itself. (See pictures of the battle against the Taliban...
...Obama strategy for victory has several parts, few of them novel. He will up the troop strength to nearly 100,000, from just 32,000 when he came into office. He will redouble efforts to support the corrupt Afghan government, build up the so-far scattershot Afghan security apparatus, and refocus efforts on establishing a sustainable, non-narcotic agricultural base for the economy. He promised to begin removing troops in July of 2011, but offered no guidance about the pace of withdrawal or an end point for the war. "As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond...
...promises and if they don't see that it can deliver, the deployment of more foreign soldiers will be a waste of time, and lives. "One of the reasons that the Taliban are able to get a lot of assistance from the people is that the local authorities are corrupt," says Sabit. "Let's fight them first, then the Americans can come in and fight the terrorists...
...course, Obama did speak of strengthening governance, though with a pointed message that "the days of providing a blank check [to Afghan President Hamid Karzai] are over." Still, how he would do so, and what would happen if Karzai's government did not clean up its corrupt ways, was unclear. Officials say the most likely punishment would be a withdrawal of U.S. and foreign funding to those ministries that are clearly corrupt or that underperform. As for development, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking on Monday in New York, said Washington's "goals in Afghanistan include providing the government with...
...providing a blank check are over. President Karzai's inauguration speech sent the right message about moving in a new direction. And going forward, we will be clear about what we expect from those who receive our assistance. We will support Afghan ministries, governors and local leaders that combat corruption and deliver for the people. We expect those who are ineffective or corrupt to be held accountable. And we will also focus our assistance in areas - such as agriculture - that can make an immediate impact in the lives of the Afghan people...