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Cornerstone of Afghan Reconstruction Effort — Roads — is Near-Total Failure
One of the planned cornerstones of the 15+ year Afghan Reconstruction Effort was to be an extensive, nationwide network of roads.
The United States’ concept was roads would allow the Afghan economy to flourish as trade could reach throughout the country, security would be enhanced by the ability to move security forces quickly to where they were needed, and that the presence of the roads would serve as a literal symbol of the central government’s ability to extend its presence into the countryside.The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) released its audit of the Department of Defense’s and USAID’s $2.8 billion investment in Afghanistan’s road infrastructure.
The project has been a near-total failure. The audit notes:— An Afghan Ministry of Public Works’ (MOPW) official stated 20 percent of the roads have been destroyed and the remaining 80 percent continue to deteriorate.
— USAID estimated that unless maintained, it would cost about $8.3 billion to replace Afghanistan’s road infrastructure, and estimated that 54 percent of Afghanistan’s road infrastructure suffered from poor maintenance and required rehabilitation beyond simple repairs.
— SIGAR inspections of 20 road segments found that 19 had road damage ranging from deep surface cracks to roads and bridges destroyed by weather or insurgents. Some 17 segments were either poorly maintained or not maintained at all.
— MOPW officials noted that Afghanistan’s road infrastructure plays an important role in the country’s development and governance, and if the Kabul to Kandahar highway were to become impassable, the central government would collapse.
— MOPW officials stated it will cost $100 million annually to carry out the necessary maintenance on Afghanistan’s road infrastructure. However, between 2011 and 2016, MOPW received only an average of $21.3 million annually from its American patrons.
— According to a former U.S. official, the Afghan government would always sign the required memorandum acknowledging it had the capability to sustain a project, despite not having the capability to do so. American advisors would always accept the memorandum despite knowing the Afghans did not have the capability to do so.
BONUS: Who in America would not want to see $2.8 billion of American taxpayer money spent on roads here in the Homeland?
Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved. The views expressed here are solely those of the author(s) in their private capacity.
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Respect Jack in the Box said...
1What’s the deal with the Foreign Service? I want the best and brightest like any person in the US, absolutely, from top to bottom, representing the US overseas. But let’s face it, the process is not exactly conducive to attracting and processing that cadre, is it? Someone can bust their ass studying a brutal language or serving overseas, but that will only put them behind the curve as their background check drags on from 6 months to 18 months+. And then when the email comes, these people that often have families or live overseas with people relying on them are supposed to drop everything and move to DC quickly (often within one month) or be marked negatively and then only have one more offer?
And this “corridor reputation.” What is that? Is that don’t make waves, suck it up, if your boss is fu***ng a journalist in public in a warzone, don’t say anything because that’s not cool? Bullsh*t, the only people that buy that line of crap might be 21 and straight out of college. Because everyone knows those people above in the bureaucracy never, never, never give a crap about those below them. So, suck it up and issue visas and reject everyone that isn’t rich and connected for a few years and hope for better? Because people had an image of the US overseas, and that ain’t it.
03/24/17 9:41 AM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
2We are the world’s experts at road and infrastructure deterioration.
03/24/17 10:20 AM | Comment Link
Josh Stern said...
3Rachel Maddow describes another Afghan parallel in her book “Drift” – She observed large sections of McMansion houses in Kabul that were either empty or had been turned in many tenant flop houses. The streets in these neighborhoods were often filled with uncollected garbage and sometimes sewage. In much the same way, the “point” of the homes had been the high dollar US construction contracts for originally building the dwellings rather than a sustainable demand for those residential products in that location.
03/24/17 10:21 AM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
4Peter…. Your surprised????
PS….
The picture looks a great deal like the roads in Louisiana….
M
03/24/17 12:17 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
5We need safe sidewalks in our town (or Hamlet).!
03/24/17 1:30 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
6When drones fly, children die. Have a nice day. PPP’s
03/24/17 1:31 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
7Rachel Mildew makes over 30k a show. She does not work for the people.
03/24/17 3:48 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
8Did Rachel complain of Obama bombing 7 nations? Does she show the Trump bombings? Food Not Bombs.
03/24/17 3:50 PM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
9The report blames corruption and nepotism, Maybe that is why Trumpie hasn’t tweeted yet.
03/24/17 5:29 PM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
10Trump: Muslim ban. Check TrumpCare. Check
Hey Spicey, what’s next?
03/24/17 5:31 PM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
11TrumpCare does have science in its favor: eliminate the retired parasites by jacking the 55 to 65 year olds premiums so they can’t afford medical care saves Social Security and Medicare.
03/24/17 5:42 PM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
12Rich.
You think Obamacare is any better?
M
03/24/17 5:53 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
13Medicare for All.
03/24/17 6:34 PM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
14Trump finally broke his streak of lies:
“Perhaps the best thing that could happen is exactly what happened today,” Mr. Trump said in a news conference in the Oval Office.
Yes, but not in the way dumdum means.
03/24/17 6:59 PM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
15More on London terrorist:
A security official who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation confirmed that Masood had spent time in Saudi Arabia but said investigators were still trying to determine how long he stayed and what he was doing.
Definitely we don’t need to screen Saudi travel, Trumpie.
03/24/17 7:18 PM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
16Rich.
You don’t realize what is going to happen next, do you?
Trump just became far more dangerous, after this “defeat ” on Obamacare/ Trumpcare.
Soon, there will be elections, and everyone who voted against it, knowing that Obamacare is about to tank, is going to be voted out, and replaced by people who will support Trump.
Because, the more childish name calling, pure rabid partisanship BS, is Exactly what the people don’t want.
That rabid partisanship, is exactly why Trump came to power.
Obamacare is going to collapse, democrat side is going to have to own that.
All Trump has to do, is say, he tried to fix it. These people would not let me.
And Trump gets more control.
M
03/25/17 9:27 AM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
17Mitch,
Trump won’t be around to run for presidense. He will be running to Russia to seek political asylum.
03/25/17 10:34 AM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
18Rich.
Stop reading facebook.
Try history channel. Look how long it took with Nixon.
M
03/25/17 12:17 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
19Mitch, “Soon there will be elections”, the cycle for MSM has become every year, versus every two. Ad revenue increase, just like KO selling small cokes to decrease sugar(ads push that), and etc. to the sheeples. Pigs will be pigs. Support the Peace Keepers. Have a nice day! PPPPPPPPPPPPPP’s Stay Tuned…
03/25/17 5:16 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
20How is that Iraq thingy going? War Criminals kill over 150. Have nice day!
03/25/17 5:39 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
21I love u.s. msm networks that bring on British accent anchors, so American Sheeple think they sound smarter!
03/25/17 5:41 PM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
22Chuck.
Every year????…..
Seems a bit like really bad re-run season…. Hourly.
M
03/25/17 5:42 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
23Hourly is correct, people supporter. TY
03/25/17 6:30 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
24(I do not approve of this msssage) All I ask is Think. Then you are a friend. Keep on… Educate (and don’t forget), agitate). Time Out!
03/25/17 6:34 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
25How long will this last? PPPPPPPPPPPPppppppppppppppppppppp;s
03/25/17 7:03 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
26chuck is going crazy… I can save you! I am svaed.
03/25/17 7:17 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
27Don’t Worry, Be Happy.
03/25/17 7:19 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
28next up… Have a nice day!
03/25/17 7:21 PM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
29Chuck.
Everytime I agitate…. People yell at me.
M
03/25/17 7:38 PM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
30Rich.
Is this guy reading your stand-up material…. Or are you reading his???
http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/03/25/democrat-calls-trump-evil-man-violated-oath-office-ted-lieu-california
M
03/25/17 7:40 PM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
31Trump in like Flynn. He is screwed.
03/25/17 8:54 PM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
32Flynn was only following orders.
New reports may shed more light on why Michael Flynn could be flipping on Donald Trump. Reports claim that Flynn, who had worked as an agent to further the interests of Turkey, may have had plans to send dissident Fetullah Gulen from the United States back to Turkey, where many believe he would be jailed or even killed.
03/25/17 9:01 PM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
33Rich.
I do recall telling you quite some time ago….
‘Concentrate on Flynn, that is your path to hurt Trump ‘.
I have a sneaking feeling…. There is much more there than has been exposed yet.
Just a feeling…. Too many things that are coming out…. That should have been known or disclosed.
M
03/25/17 11:57 PM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
34What we know:
Trump is a sex pervert.
Trump has poor judgment to blab about his sex perversion.
What we suspect:
Trump is perverted enough with poor judgment to get caught in a golden shower.
03/26/17 8:01 AM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
35Rich.
We don’t ‘know’ any of that.
That is the typical character assassination crap put out by terrified people.
Pretty weak.
Unless, of course, your jealous that you were not invited ??
If you want all the lego’s to come crashing down, concentrate on Flynn and the source of the wiretappings.
That will crash both sides for you.
M
03/26/17 8:30 AM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
36Trump: If it is not on video, then I didn’t say it.
Bush: Yeah, about that…
03/26/17 8:58 AM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
37Rich.
Hillary lost……
Get over it.
M
03/26/17 9:31 AM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
38Mitch,
Are you suffering some kind of dementia? Did you think War Witch and Hillarious were terms of endearment? We got rid of the witch. Now it is time to pull back the iron curtain on the rasPutin wizard.
03/26/17 2:44 PM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
39Rich.
Its ok…. I get it…….. I understand that your way of showing endearment is throwing insults…. There is someone for everyone…
I don’t see her divorcing… So you will always be second string…. So be prepared for that…. But to each their own.
I’m sure, once upon a time… She must have been cute…..maybe baby pictures…
M
03/26/17 5:42 PM | Comment Link
RICH BAUER said...
40Hillary hated Bill because he was always stealing her dates.
03/26/17 6:45 PM | Comment Link