Reader's digest Article on how Pakistan helps terrorists with American Money

[vvvslaxman]

http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/american-weapons-in-the-hands-of-the-taliban/article156347.html American Weapons in the Hands of the Taliban Our allies in Pakistan and Afghanistan are using our money to pad their pockets—or worse, giving it to terrorists. By Michael Crowley A platoon of U.S. soldiers crouched in the darkness of Afghanistan one night last April, awaiting a group of approaching Taliban fighters. The men of Second Platoon, Company B, had spent nine months fighting in the area, near the Pakistan border, and 11 of their members had been injured or killed. This time, Company B was primed for revenge. When the Taliban came close enough, the Americans hit them with automatic-weapons fire and grenades, mowing down at least a dozen enemy fighters. It was a decisive victory. But afterward, the troops made a startling discovery. A check of 30 magazines taken from the dead insurgents' rifles found that at least 17 held ammunition that bore the distinctive factory stamps of U.S. suppliers in California and the Czech Republic. The discovery—first made by a New York Times reporter who examined the ammunition at the scene, and later confirmed by the Pentagon—hints at a long-feared situation: that American-supplied arms are winding up with those trying to kill our troops. It wasn't the first such incident. In July 2008, Taliban fighters attacked a U.S. outpost in the Afghan village of Wanat, killing nine American troops and wounding 27. Military investigators later discovered a local police chief had helped carry out the attack. At his police post, they found a cache of more than 70 assault rifles that were probably U.S.-supplied. The investigators picked up three more guns near the battle site itself. But here's the most disturbing part: Pentagon officials say there's no way to know how the Taliban is getting these weapons. They could be stolen or taken from dead government troops. They could even have been sold by our allies. (Private DynCorp contractors working for the United States have reported "multiple instances" of Afghan National Police personnel allegedly selling weapons to anti-American forces.) We just don't know, because we've lost track of tens of thousands of weapons and ammunition in Afghanistan. That's right. In January, the Government Accountability Office found that the U.S. military was not adequately tracking weapons supplied to Afghanistan's government security forces and in fact could not account for at least 87,000 of them, including machine guns and grenade launchers. Nor did the military keep reliable records for another 135,000 weapons supplied by NATO and other allies. The missing weapons are just one part of a larger story: the sad saga of how America's high-stakes battle against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been hindered by incompetence, corruption, and double-dealing. It's not just guns and ammo we've lost track of—it's our money too. Since 9/11, the Unit*ed States has poured about $33 billion in aid into Afghanistan. Yet it's widely assumed that President Hamid Karzai's American-backed government is rife with corruption. In discussions with everyone from American military leaders to provincial authorities, complaints about corruption "come up just about everywhere I have visited," says retired Marine Corps major general Arnold Fields, the Pentagon's newly appointed Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Near the top of the list of complaints: Some Afghan officials, many of whom collect official salaries of less than $20 per day, live in suspiciously posh new homes. Kabul's police chief owns a mansion, which, with its fountain and ornate Greek columns, reportedly rents for $11,000 per month. Is this money being looted from American funds? Who knows? With Congress asleep at the switch, the Bush administration created the watchdog position Fields now occupies. But that was just last year—seven years after we started giving money to the Afghan government. In his last request to Congress, Fields asked for $23 million to do the job but got only two thirds. That means he could hire half of the 40 auditors he says he needs (though better oversight could save us billions). The chicanery may be worse next door. America has sent about $12 billion since 9/11 to help neighboring Pakistan crack down on Al Qaeda operatives camped out along its border. Much of that, too, "has been stolen," says California congressman Howard Berman. Pakistan artificially inflated prices by up to 30 percent for supplies like fuel, ammunition, and barbed wire. It has also diverted hundreds of millions to pay for weapons unrelated to its fight with the insurgents. And scarily, even as American officials warn about the risk of insurgents stealing a bomb from Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, the country is still expanding its atomic arsenal, possibly with money freed up by American aid. Worst of all, many U.S. government officials and analysts believe Islamabad deliberately keeps the Taliban and Al Qaeda strong so it can milk us for more aid. Pakistan's intelligence service "is hedging its bets and playing both sides of the fence," says a Senate Democratic foreign policy aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Policymakers may finally be waking up to these problems. The Pentagon recently deployed a database that tracks the serial numbers and distribution of small arms sent to Afghanistan. But there's still no tracking system for the ammunition. Congress also needs to hand over the budget that Inspector General Fields needs to hire more auditors. Across the border, we have to get tougher too. President Obama should threaten to hold up future aid to Pakistan if it doesn't put an end to its double-dealing. It might not be possible to track every gun and penny given?to fight our enemies. But when the stakes involve American troops, billions of dollars, and another potential terrorist attack launched from the region, we've got to try harder. We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to the men of Company B. Do More * Stay informed. Keep up with Inspector General Arnold Fields's work at sigar.mil, where he posts quarterly reports to Congress. * Keep the pressure on. Call your congressional representatives and tell them not to let our tax dollars go to waste. Demand they fund more auditors in the war zone. * Show your support. Representatives Jane Harman of California and Michael McCaul of Texas are both fighting to make Pakistan do more in exchange for our aid. Call Harman (202-225-8220) and McCaul (202-225-2401) and cheer them on.

[EnterTheVoid]

What a surprise. Begging with the right hand and farewelling jihadi's to every corner of the world with the other hand. Why the **** would you want allies like these ?