Afghanistan: Oversight AWOL?

[lib2DaBone]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/07/afghanistan-oversight-awol

Thu July 16, 2009 4:00 AM PST
After the legendary corruption of the Iraq occupation—private contractors fashioning spurs for their cowboy boots from stolen Iraqi gold, vanishing pallets of shrink-wrapped cash—you'd think the US government would be keeping an extra-close watch on the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan. But you'd be wrong

Afghanistan already places fifth in Transparency International's annual ranking of the most corrupt nations in the world. The US plans to spend nearly $14 billion there over the next financial year on military operations and reconstruction projects, up from about $11 billion this year. Yet Arnold Fields, the official charged with keeping track of this money—as well as foreign investment in US-sponsored programs—says in an interview with Mother Jones that he lacks the tools for the job.
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I could be wrong.. but $14 Billion for Jobs at home would put a lot of people back to work... fixing the roads, schools, rail lines? At least people would have money to buy food and keep their homes out of foreclosure.