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Angry House Lawmaker Cuts Aid to Afghanistan; War Funding Not Affected
A key U.S. House of Representatives Democrat said on Monday she is cutting billions of dollars in aid to Afghanistan from spending legislation because she is outraged over reports of corruption and donor aid being flown out the country.
Representative Nita Lowey, who heads the House appropriations subcommittee on foreign aid, vowed not to spend "one more dime" on aid to Afghanistan until she can be sure it is not being abused.
The Democrat also announced hearings on corruption in Afghanistan, where the Obama administration is trying to work with the government of President Hamid Karzai to confront the Taliban insurgency.
An aide to Lowey said the Obama administration requested $3.9 billion for the accounts affected in the fiscal 2011 foreign aid appropriations bill before Lowey's committee.
Lowey said in her statement she would only leave "lifesaving humanitarian aid" in the bill, which her committee will consider on Wednesday.
Her statement comes amid increasing doubts among U.S. lawmakers about President Barack Obama's six-month-old troop buildup strategy against a resurgent Taliban.
She acted after a Wall Street Journal report on Monday said more than $3 billion in cash had been flown out of Kabul airport in the past three years, and that U.S. investigators think some of the money being flown out to safe havens is diverted U.S. aid.
On the same day, a report in the Washington Post said that top officials in Karzai's government have repeatedly derailed corruption investigations of politically connected Afghans.
"The alleged shipment of billions in donor funds out of Afghanistan and allegations of Afghan government insiders impeding corruption investigations are outrageous," Lowey said.
"I do not intend to appropriate one more dime for assistance to Afghanistan until I have confidence that U.S. taxpayer money is not being abused to line the pockets of corrupt Afghan government officials, drug lords, and terrorists," she said.
Lowey said she would have hearings after Congress' recess next week to "get to the bottom" of corruption allegations in Afghanistan.
The stripped-out assistance would include economic support funds for Afghanistan and money for things like narcotics control, military education and training, health and anti-terrorism, an aide said.
Funding to pay for the surge of 30,000 troops that Obama has ordered to Afghanistan would not be affected, although the House also has yet to vote on the $33 billion that the Pentagon requested for that. The Senate has approved those funds.
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29 Comments so far
Show AllWhere was this Lowey character when the Iraqi Interior Ministry made a billion dollars disappear in 2005? Where was the "outrage" then?
This is a steaming load of horseflop!
It sure does, all these Senators and Congressmen , Tea party, Republicans , Democrats giving lengthy speeches on the Constitution ,
Fact is , they all stood by , including our supreme court , and said to protect our country we have to torture, remove Habeas Corpus, use rendition ,internet and phone company data collection, and my personal favorite, the creation of Fusion Centers using local ,state and fed law enforcement with community watch nation wide stazi spy network.
Foot patrols of spys who are paid to follow and stalk Americans without probable cause and using gang stalking torture tactics.
Oh , you dont believe it, shit, you cant have a community watch spy network funded by the DHS TIPS program grant money if you dont have suspects.
SO COUNTY BY COUNTY, SUSPECTS ARE CREATED.
WELCOME TO THE UNITED STAZI OF AMERICA.
INDEED SIR, WHERE WERE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS SWORN TO PROTECT THE CONSTITUTION BY OATH.
ALL THIS , WHILE OUR BRAVE MILITARY IS FIGHTING IN TWO WARS CREATED FROM LIES , AND BILLIONS OF TAX PAYERS MONEY USED TO SPREAD DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM WHILE THE AHOLES AT HOME TRY TO TAKE IT FROM US.
SUPPORT YOUR TROOPS BY PROTECTING OUR CONSTITUTION.
Better late than Never. Are you upset that someone is finally speaking out, or are you just having a bad day?
OMG!
Spokesperson for the Democratic Party, eh?
Oh Lord, shut your Democratic, Obama-worshipping pie-hole. "Better late than never," "better a Democrat than a Republican," "things would be worse under Palin," "lesser of two evils," etc ad nauseum.
Got any other lame-ass excuses for your fucking Party? Here's an idea for ya, rousseau: try supporting THE RULE OF LAW AND THE CONSTITUTION for a change, instead of your favorite teams and players.
Putz.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross."
Sinclair Lewis, "It Cant Happen Here", 1935
Karzai may be an inept, corrupt politician on the make, but he's OUR inept, corrupt politician on the make.
Do you suppose Karzai is still collecting retirement pay from UnoCal? or is he still on its active roster?
The status quo wants perpetual war. The billionaire ruling elite know it's the most profitable by far of all businesses and they don't care how much or whose blood is on it.
rh
"... "Throwing money at the problem exacerbates the problem," says Andrew Wilder, an expert at Tufts University who has studied the effect of aid in southern Afghanistan. "A tsunami of cash fuels corruption, delegitimizes the government and creates an environment where we're picking winners and losers" – a process that fuels resentment and hostility among the civilian population. So far, counterinsurgency has succeeded only in creating a never-ending demand for the primary product supplied by the military: perpetual war. There is a reason that President Obama studiously avoids using the word "victory" when he talks about Afghanistan. Winning, it would seem, is not really possible. Not even with Stanley McChrystal in charge."
Those are the last few sentences in Michael Hastings RollingStone Article: The Runaway General
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236?RS_show_page=5
Unocal tried to build the pipeline, but the Taliban wanted
to take over the pipeline. Has anyone told the Congress Lady
Lowey about the Pipeline Yet? Why is Congress acting like they
know nothing about that pipeline? Obama is a prisoner of the
oil interests like he was with BP Oil..
Freddie Kilowatt, you have made my day!!
How come absolutely everyone doesn't debate the real reason the USA invaded Afganistan?
The Unocal oil pipeline of course. And I wonder how many people are going to read Freddie Kilowatt's post and go "click!"
Below is the outline of why so many soldiers (and civilians) have become "mince meat" in Afganistan and Iraq.
ITS ALL ABOUT OIL
http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/oil.html?q=oil.html
Is an Oil Pipeline Behind the War in Afghanistan?
by Bill Sardi
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/sardi7.html
"Outside this country, there is a widespread belief that U.S. military deployments in Central Asia mostly are about oil."
Line from:Pipeline politics taint U.S. war
Chicago Tribune
Mar 18, 2002
http://www.wanttoknow.info/020318chicagotribune
USA armed the Taleban and Saddam Hussein to push the USSR out of Afganistan to allow a consortium of corporate oil thieves to start building the "Unocal" pipeline to pipe oil from the North out through the Caspian Sea.
Problem was, after they had used the Taleban to clear the way (get rid of USSR) towards building the means to get the oil to USA, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
They then welshed on their promises to the Taleban and pompously dismissed them as no longer relevant.
The Taleban told Unocal and USA to "go to hell."
George Bush and his corporate cronies 'forgot' they had armed the Taleban when they 'dreamed up' all sorts of phony reasons (Womens' rights, Democracy, etc etc) to justify invading Afganistan to 'rescue' the Unocal Oil heist.
Did they also 'dream up' 7/11? Nothing surprises us when we see the lengths the corporates (supported by Congress) go to, to rob the US poor and middle classes, by using their taxes to fund invasions that only benefit the evil, corrupt Corporates.
Just a very efficient way to transfer wealth to 5% of the USA population!!
Weren't we supposed to believe USA invaded Afganistan to capture Osama Bin Laden!!
How long is it since we have heard how the US army strategies are getting on in their quest to capture Bin Laden. Ha Ha. (The White House propaganda machine has certainly been remiss in keeping us up to date with "Bin Laden Taskforce!!")
No point in ranting and raving about all the "Red Herrings" that the news media toss up day after day, week after week, and year after year.
A total waste of energy.
Always search for the REAL REASON USA is willing to sacrifice hundreds of soldiers and civilians.
It's never about democracy, or the goodness of the USA Politicians' hearts.
It's invariably about humungous profits to be made for their greedy, corrupt,corporate buddies in Washington.
Afganistan smells of Bechtel, Haliburton, Brown and Roote. There's got to be very worthwhile spin-offs for them somewhere in the background, just like there was in Iraq!
"GO LOWEY, GO LOWEY"
from stardust
The funding for the Afghan War,
YES! --- Lowey, she said ,"NO!"
It is now time, Congressional ones
to stop this funding show!
A BILLION here, a BILLION there,
with NO accounting too!
CORRUPTION eats us all alive,
this madness profits, WHO?
As soldiers die, and Nation drowns,
ECONOMY? --No net!
It's time to end this CREEPISH show,
and get employment set.
You want a war? It's happening here,
in cities and in towns.
The flag flies high, and people die,
within your country's bounds.
CORRUPTION is a monsterous thing,
Hydra---many headed.
The UNEMPLOYED need funding too,
Hell--is where they're headed!
A BILLION here, a BILLION there,
WE want funds nation bound.
For CITIZENS are dying here!
THEY are the Sacred Ground.
***
Well Shazam, that ought to impress the locals about our
genuine commitment to their welfare. These boneheads might
as well post this statement of intent on a Taliban
recruiting poster and eliminate the middle man.
So this Lowey Loonie thinks she's going to 'get to the bottom' of what's up in Afghanistan, does she. She's not going to see U.S. taxpayer money abused. Wowee. Golll-eeeeeee. Aw shucks. Gee Whillikers.
Who the fuck is this idiot bullshitting??? And if she's going to get all fucked up and self-righteous about anything, how about getting fucked up and self-righteous about the rapidly-advancing Biggest Shithole In The World status that the U.S. is hell-bent on achieving. How about directing the aid money where it is needed - IN THE UNITED STATES. What about nutrition, education and health care in the U.S.? Well, they can all go fuck themselves, now can't they. That's certainly the message being delivered to my child's American school - one of the vast majority of U.S. schools which is having its budget severely cut and teachers laid off. Meanwhile Americans continue with this psychotic idea that health care is a commodity - possibly the very one of the many psychotic ideas behind the running of the U.S. WHICH WILL BE THE FIRST ONE TO KILL THE U.S.
But don't take my word for it. What the fuck would I, or any other real, educated human being whose life is threatened by this kind of psychosis, know?
Lowey Should be FORCED to go live in bloody Afghanistan for a year and deal first hand with the incredible stone-age bullshit that passes for notions of infrastructure and governance, in a country famous for destroying empires and just carrying on into this millennium exactly the way it went through the last several millennia, and then see how her Beltway Wonderwoman act plays. 'Course, she wouldn't last five goddamn minutes in Afghanistan, but she might just WAKE THE FUCK UP before she's shown the door.
Listen, Lowey, get your head out of your ignorant, pampered, American, xenophobic arse and get the fuck to work to get the military budget down-sized so that the money can be used to save your own doomed country, OR FUCK OFF.
Barry Greene;Thank you and someone higher up the chain put her up to it to try and placate the seething masses who are getting pissed off by the hour and when obama said that people were obsessing about the bullshit pull out next year and the fact that there are only supposed to be FIFTY Taliban in Afghanistan. If this were not so tragic it would make a great cartoon series with Homer as Prez.It make me wonder how he can get in front of a microphone or people and say anything, anything with a straight face.Tony
Go Barry Greene !!!!!!!
Yes sir...........
Screw Lowry where the sun don't shine !!!!!
Listen , she says, don't touch the military aid...
just the humanitarian aid.....
They must be running out of skids to stack
them one hundred dollars bills on to put
on the C130s
Barry,
Well stated and to the point!
Chelsea
Very, VERY well said Barry! I think you just expressed point-blank the feelings of a wide swath of us progressives!
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross."
Sinclair Lewis, "It Cant Happen Here", 1935
War funding is SACRED! It must NEVER be cut! NEVER!
We just CANNOT let our troops down by failing to support them as we continue to send them into endless quagmires for Empire.
Fine Print:
(However, due to the budget deficit created by these wars, we will no longer be able to give all of them the medical care they need when/if they ever return home.)
The posturing idiots in congress knew what was going on. Now that it has been openly revealed, pseudo-outrage is everywhere. Don't waste a vote and give congress legitimacy. Just say fricken no with your dollars and your votes. This gurgling stew of lies, theft, and greed for power is proving to be beyond our imaginations. Starve the beast and cut off it's head.
Bring everybody home! Then send over planes loaded with money and bomb Afghanistan with money. It should be easier and wont cost any more. Or at least we know how we are dropping!
Lowry is a typical politician, and a Democrat, to boot. Whether it's a Republican Administration or a Democratic one, they serve the highest bidder and maintain the behind closed doors agenda for the new world order. Time to abandon the one-party system (the D's and the R's) once in for all.
No money for aid--but money to bomb and kill people--that's just fucking beautiful.
*Their* currupt government--HELLO--what about ours--the US?
The money is spending us
The money is spending us
the schools are disassembling
into its filthy stream the roads
are causing disaster in young men’s
and women's lives: there is nothing to do
but drink and imagine
what the world was like before
the money was spending us
it sucks up the little ones
and uses their blood for feed
War of the Worlds style we beat
on the cages of the banks before
the monster talon picks us
out of the bullpen of the feeders oh
the money is spending us
the war games shock the places where
the Buddhas stood and pummel the women
again and again, the boys turned
to sex dolls for the expensive old men
the generals in charge of the carnage
spitting at the commander in chief because
the money is spending us
it has us trained well, with every loss
we proclaim it is the fault of the people
the people made the money makers lie
the people don't want to work
the people don't want to be dessert
a pile of deaths from preventable diseases
the money has spent us
we can barely move even backward
there is a stinking river filled with the effluent
of the costs of money, we spend too much
to keep it flowing or we rob from those
who need something else to drink
to keep it out of our own back yard yes
the money is spending us
we are always broke
but we still want more.
Let's see....we set up a puppet government, based on faulty information about those we install. We pour billions of dollars into that government with little to no accounting. We care not a bit that the brother of the President is one of the largest heroin dealers in that nation, or that dishonesty is the rule rather than the exception.
We then commence to alienate the entire population of Afghanistan by murdering wedding guests and children with indiscrimate and boastful prowess. So we effect astonishment at corruption there?
By the by, this same policy has seen Baghdad with no clean water and little electrical power these eight years after we destroyed those capabilities...It seems pretty damn obvious that our government neither works for us nor does it work at all.
That's about it, doubledee. And I am astonished that people do not get the tautology. When you set up a corrupt puppet who invites imperialists to run amok in his country, what you get, by definition, is a corrupt self-seeking bastard. Any self-respecting patriot in any country whatsoever would be in the resistance in such a scenario.
Joe
Corruption is the biggest problem the world faces today and the US Congress is a leader. Yes, the way politicians are bought like so much canned fish is 'legal' but it is grossly and thoroughly corrupt just the same, overseen by a Supreme Court dominated by wingnuts.
Our so-called government is owned by the corporations. Not just Congress, but the Supremes and the White House too. Check out this website:
movetoamend.org
If by "corporations" you also include "Zionists", etc. Not JUST corporations - other powerful groups, too.
Corporations exist to take the wealth created by the workers and funnel it upwards to the shareholders. If those shareholders are Zionists, etc., then that's who I'm talking about. I would have said that the Zionists are good for the corporate profit/control model because they help to perpetuate war, the most profitable business of all.