Afghan Bank Fails and Requests U.S. Bailout
Quick comment on the news out of Afghanistan about a failing bank asking for a U.S. bailout. More than likely Karzai or one of his kin has used the bank as a private slush fund or some other corrupt practice and now it needs a bailout. The most interesting aspect is this quote from the president's brother, Mahmood Karzai, who is also the third largest shareholder of the bank.
"America could support Kabul Bank to the last penny, of course that would help," he said in an interview at his Kabul home. "The full faith and credit of the U.S. government behind Kabul Bank—what more do you want?"
This quote is interesting specifically because it's so illustrative of the entire Afghan U.S. relationship. Why end a civil war when the Afghan's have a huge opportunity to funnel cash out of America to fund both sides. Money seems to leave the country faster than we can airdrop it in all the while the president's family takes cash for their own personal bank accounts and hides them abroad. We need to stop sending money and stop trying to solve other people's problems for them while we have a few of our own to work out.
The Afghani people are not stupid and they don't support their government because even they know how corrupt it is yet our entire strategy is based on a credible government partner. How about pulling back the large troop prescence and relying on a much smaller force of drones and technical advisers. Let the civil war play out. If people dislike the Taliban they are going to have to fight them themselves. I don't know how many pieces I have read about how brave the Afghans are.
Petreus is a hero for the Iraqi surge and the counter insurgency strategy that worked so well there. However he seems to have too much at stake in it personally to view other possible options. Time to change the strategy. If we are idiotic enough to continue with this same strategy with every group incented to keep the civil war going so the money keeps flowing, we deserve to lose every penny.
Full story via WSJ.
Originally posted here.
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