Corruption Ignored, Deplored In Afghanistan

[thestoic]

Source: Morning Edition from NPR News

When the Obama administration formulated its new strategy for Afghanistan, it included certain demands on the government in Kabul. First and foremost was tackling corruption, a practice that seeps into virtually every aspect of life and leaves many Afghans angry and frustrated.

Bribery and extortion — baksheesh and reshwat in the local language — have become routine.

Mohammed Nazir Habibzoi runs a busy trucking company on the far edge of Kabul. His 250 trucks crisscross Afghanistan and the region, shuttling all sorts of supplies.

But it costs him, he says. For example, his company transports goods from Tajikistan to Kabul. To prevent his trucks from getting delayed at the border, Habibzoi says, the drivers have to pay customs officials.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121536680

[Goldstein1984]

1. They should just legalize corruption...

They could even call it campaign finance, like we do.