Wednesday 21 July 2010

DfiD Buys Britain's Withdrawal



On Monday, international development secretary Andrew Mitchell, revealed the coalition government's plan to increase the amount of ring-fenced money Britain spends on aid in Afghanistan by 40%. The government has already committed £500m on projects in Afghanistan over the next five years.

Britain currently gives aid to about 90 countries, but Mr Mitchell has already said that after an ongoing review some countries, such as China and Russia, will no longer receive it. He told the Politics Show on Sunday that India was "roaring out of poverty" and would be looked at very closely.

It is believed the money for Afghanistan would be used to stabilise the most insecure areas, with more policing, emergency food and medicine and thousands of job and training opportunities. The last government ensured that the UK was already the second-largest donor to Afghanistan and Helmand is already amongst the most heavily aided regions on earth.

Corruption is a way of life in Afghanistan and there is little supervision of how much of our mass of aid reaches those in need.

This tweet from veterans_uk mirrors my opinion of what could be interpreted as a form of blackmail in order to gain short-term co-operation from the corrupt Afghan government.

veterans_uk If we are keeping the peace then those with dead & wounded should be withholding aid from Afghanistan not rewarding them with more.
I couldn't agree more.

7 comments:

JRB said...

Blood Money – there is no other way to describe it.

Not only are we increasing the total amount we give in aid, but as a result of the recent conference, all the NATO allies have agree to give 50% of that aid directly to Karzai, to buy his approval for the future troop withdrawal.

Mr Karzai and his corrupt regime must be laughing all the way to the bank – sorry – they are the bank.

The level of corruption is obvious to us half way across the glob, so it is no wonder that the common man in Afghanistan on seeing this corruption at close quarters, is driven into the hands of the Taliban.

Why, Oh, Why have our politicians continued to feed such blatant corruption over the last ten years with what is euphemistically called ‘aid’?

RMcGeddon said...

It seems daft giving even more aid to Afghanistan for the building of schools etc. It will all be blown up 5 minutes after the Taliban take control in 2014.
Karzai will be happy though. Doubling the aid money given direct to his government will boost his Swiss bank accounts and make his retirement even cushier.

Harry said...

They are good graduates of the Frankfurt School, who are merely doing as their Fabian masters have taught them.

Love the barbarian, the cruel, the savage, hate the British, the common folk especially, who exist merely to rape for capital to pour abroad:

We can cut our own public services by 40%, but the Afghanis must have £500000000. Or more, ring-fenced, protected whilst thousands are losing their jobs in Ipswich Inverness and Cardiff.

Disgusting.

subrosa said...

As happened in Iraq RM. Build a water plant, blow it up day after completion. Endless it was there and it will be the same in Afghanistan.

Auch Karzai must be ecstatic. I mean, it's like he won the lottery without even buying a ticket.

subrosa said...

Afternoon John. How sad it is that our politicians have to buy their way out of difficulties instead of using their skills. Ooops, of course few have the skills so perhaps it's no surprise that they resort to financial bribery.

subrosa said...

I don't understand it any more Harry. Do our politicians think we're bottomless pits? Less and less people are in work and it'll be a good few years before unemployment increases to any degree.

Those who are forced to pay tax to fund something like this will go elsewhere. I would if I was younger.

Crinkly & Ragged Arsed Philosophers said...

Well there you have it; it's official and confirmed in Kabul.

After nine years of blood, sweat, graft, corruption and toil the Western Crusaders are refining their diplo-speak of real defeat into rhetorical victory.

And all it's cost; apart from a few thousand lives, is a smattering of billions to fund the poppy industries modernisation to meet the demands of the 21st century.

Ah well -Tosspot is as Tosspot does.

Related Posts with Thumbnails