U.S. General
- Thread starter moreluck
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Babagounj
Strength through joy
Congressional Report: US taxpayer funds used to pay “protection money” to the Taliban
CNSNews.com — Some of the $2 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds spent on a Defense Department contract for the private security of “vital” U.S. military supplies in Afghanistan may be making its way to the Taliban as “protection payments for safe passage,” a House investigative report found.
The State Department confirmed that the Taliban continues to receive “protection money” when asked about the House report, which includes December 2009 testimony from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton told a Senate panel, “one of the major sources for the Taliban is the protection money” for safe passage of U.S. supply convoys.
“Taliban continues to extort protection money as a source of revenue just like via the opium trade,” Darby Holladay, a spokesman for the State Department, the government agency that oversees U.S. civilian forces in Afghanistan, told CNSNews.com.
While testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Dec. 3, 2009, Secretary Clinton said, “Much of the corruption [in Afghanistan] is fueled by money that has poured into that country over the last eight years.”
She also said, “When we are so dependent upon long supply lines, as in Afghanistan, where everything has to be imported, it is much more difficult than it was in Iraq…”
“One of the major sources of funding for the Taliban is the protection money,” she later added.
CNSNews.com — Some of the $2 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds spent on a Defense Department contract for the private security of “vital” U.S. military supplies in Afghanistan may be making its way to the Taliban as “protection payments for safe passage,” a House investigative report found.
The State Department confirmed that the Taliban continues to receive “protection money” when asked about the House report, which includes December 2009 testimony from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton told a Senate panel, “one of the major sources for the Taliban is the protection money” for safe passage of U.S. supply convoys.
“Taliban continues to extort protection money as a source of revenue just like via the opium trade,” Darby Holladay, a spokesman for the State Department, the government agency that oversees U.S. civilian forces in Afghanistan, told CNSNews.com.
While testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Dec. 3, 2009, Secretary Clinton said, “Much of the corruption [in Afghanistan] is fueled by money that has poured into that country over the last eight years.”
She also said, “When we are so dependent upon long supply lines, as in Afghanistan, where everything has to be imported, it is much more difficult than it was in Iraq…”
“One of the major sources of funding for the Taliban is the protection money,” she later added.
tieguy
Banned
the more the leadership changes the more the players and policies stay the same.
The fired general voted for Obama he should have been canned. Any military leader worth his salt would never have voted for Obama.
The chief of staff should have canned him. Obama calling him to the white house to gut him is just more of the smoke and mirrors mind games played by this administration.
real leadership would have been Obama recognizing the generals leadership and right to disagree.
klein
Für Meno :)
Our general in Khandahar got canned for having a love affair with a female soldier, now what is worse ?
A general under Hitler or Stalin, even todays China would be shot, if they opposed their own government.
I don't know of any country that would allow a general to speak against his own government and still be on duty.
wkmac
Well-Known Member
Did McChrystal's blunder present Obama an opportunity to remove Petreaus from possible 2012' contention?
It's an interesting question among others.
It's an interesting question among others.
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
I don't think it was so much McChrystal was inept--he just needs to learn when to keep his mouth shut. As you said earlier, there is no "free speech" in the military, especially when it makes the boss look bad.
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
What do you mean--don't we all have Twitters accounts?
klein
Für Meno :)
Speaking of that, do you know Canada's Agenda at the G8/G20 meetings is for countries to sign a contract to lower their budget deficit by 50% by 2013.
If Obama signs that.... then expect higher taxes and less government spending soon.
if the general was right guy for the job then his getting snookered by Rolling Stone for running his mouth should not have been held against him. More games being played by the Obama administration. Someone here said something before about the wizard of Oz hiding behind a curtain? It describes Obama to a tee.
lol. A master of random acts of stupidity.
There is much more to this than we know.
Obviously, McChrystal knows not to trust the media. (c'mon, Rolling Stone???)
Obviously, McChrystal knows not to dis the civilian leadership IN PRINT.
This whole situation is just too stupid to be believed. McChrystal CAN NOT have just made some error in judgement. He's not some young first-time rookie. I think it much more believable that he was ordered to find a way to take the fall for the stagnant situation in Afghanistan. They wanted Petraeus in, so McChrystal had to go out in a little bit of disgrace.
Obviously, McChrystal knows not to trust the media. (c'mon, Rolling Stone???)
Obviously, McChrystal knows not to dis the civilian leadership IN PRINT.
This whole situation is just too stupid to be believed. McChrystal CAN NOT have just made some error in judgement. He's not some young first-time rookie. I think it much more believable that he was ordered to find a way to take the fall for the stagnant situation in Afghanistan. They wanted Petraeus in, so McChrystal had to go out in a little bit of disgrace.
He could have simply resigned.
klein
Für Meno :)
Yeah ? Can a UPS Center Manager write an article in the newspaper or a magazine, saying the company isn't run properly, and mention his bigger bosses by names, and only in negative ways ?
How long do you think that center manager would keep his job, even if he/she was good at it ?
Goes for any other corperation, too.
Even sports teams....
wkmac
Well-Known Member
I think Kwiatkowski is being pretty harsh. McChrystal is a good general (imo), he just shot himself in the foot with that reporter. I think replacing him was the right decision (probably the only politically possible decision), but it's still a shame. I'd previously read that Andrew Bacevich piece and I agree with a lot of what he says.
tieguy
Banned
with the current administrations love affair with the liberal press I would be interested to know how this interview was set up. I'm thinking it very likely the white house encouraged his cooperating with rolling stone knowing they would not be friendly to the general. Looks like a set up to me.
Actually the interview was setup by McChrystal's own media guy, Duncan Boothby. He got fired even quicker than the General did.
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