In recent months he has sought to curtail the operations of private security firms. He has also voiced objections to Western-funded aid projects that bypass government ministries and funnel money directly to contractors and subcontractors. Over the last year and a half, Karzai has taken frequent rhetorical swipes at Western governments whose troops are waging the Afghan war and whose aid props up his administration. It has become a rarity for him to make a public appearance or policy statement without invoking the theme of foreign meddling, which he did again on Monday 21st.
"Afghanistan belongs to Afghans," he told a news conference in Kabul. "Afghans don't want government from abroad. Afghans don't want a European government. Afghans don't want an American government. Afghans don't want a Pakistan government. Afghans don't want an Iranian government."
Karzai is not the only critic of the PRTs, however. Some international aid groups have long expressed reservations about the militarization of development assistance, saying it endangers all those associated with humanitarian efforts. U.S. officials have also acknowledged that the process of vetting projects and tracking the disbursement of development money is deeply flawed.
The most useless thing in Afghanistan is Karzai. He is a backstabbing moneygrubber. Corruption in his government is well known. Why he continues as president, I'll never know.
ReplyDeleteThe assertion that the PRT undermines the authority of the government is simply a lie. He wants more money, plain and simple. If we shut down the PRTs and force Kabul to do everything on it's own, we take the PRT funding and send it all to Kabul, which equals billions more per year.
ReplyDeleteConsider this, last year, a Province, which shall remain nameless, spent over 100 million dollars in public works projects. As well as governmental stability projects.
Every time the Provincial Government came to the PRT for the money to complete these projects, the PRT said; "Go to Kabul and get the money from them, that is how this is supposed to work."
So they would send people to Kabul to get money, having no representation in Kabul since the way the government is organized is so fractured they have no provincial representation in place. The closest thing is the Provincial Governor himself, who is a Provincial level employee, meaning his job is not to appeal to the National government, but run the state level government and keep peace and growth stable in his own province.
So he sends people to speak on the Province's behalf and Kabul 99% of the time says; "No". They either have no money, or do not see reason to give it to the Province. "Go ask the PRT" they will say; "That is what they are there for"
And they come back, and again lay their plans out before the PRT to get their public works projects done. Such as, Bridges, electrical works, roads, schools etc etc.
Then the PRT has to find money in it's own budget to build these things, or simply deny the project.
Funny thing is, the money is there, Kabul just doesnt want to spend it. Last year, this "nameless" Province alone spent only 3% of it's public construction budget. Which was a fraction of the 100+ million spent in the province. Most of that money came from the PRT, either after Kabul denied the provincial government money, or the provincial government simply bypassed Kabul altogether and went straight to the PRT.
So.......where is the disconnect here??? Anyone???
Mind you, this is just one Province, of 27.