[Tolo News] Waste and misuse of US funding intended for reconstruction of Afghanistan peaks at millions of dollars, said a special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction
But according to the Economics According To Obama the key is to get money into the economy; what exactly it starts out for doesn't matter -- just being there will cause a multiplier effect. So why fuss about a bit of displacement? After all, in America Obamanomics saw to funds being disbursed to places that didn't exist, and to companies incapable of doing what they were being paid for.
"There are no controls in place sufficient enough to ensure taxpayers' money is used for the (intended) purpose," said Arnold Fields, special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction.
Inspector Arnold Fields said the cost of US assistance funding diverted or wasted since 2002 could reach "well into the millions, if not billions, of dollars."
He said of $56 billion has sunk in Afghanistan since 2002, some $29 billion has gone to building up Afghanistan's security forces, many of whose members cannot read and are just learning to shoot. Another $16 billion has gone to trying to develop this poor country, where life expectancy is just 45 years and only 28 percent of people are literate, and to strengthening governance.
US ambassador, Karl Eikenberry, in Kabul said perhaps the comments made by Inspector Arnold Fields belong to the past.
"As your government increases its own capability, its own capacity and its own competencies, then it becomes much more feasible to funnel and to channel our development assistance directly into your government ant that is our goal," Eikenberry said.
"We owe it to your people, we owe it to our people to make sure that question of fraud, waste and abuse are directly addressed and we take action to reduce this," Eikenberry further said.
Meanwhile, ...back at the ranch... head of the High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption commented that wherever there are more deals there is viability of corruption as long as there is no accountability.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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I wonder if there is a comparison of waste; Military vs State Department? I suspect the Military would come out miles ahead.
[Ennahar] Minister of Religious Affairs and Awqaf, Bouabdallah Ghlamallah said Thursday in Algiers, that "the Salafist ideas that distort history and misrepresent the reality are no longer a threat to national religious reference," stressing that efforts had led to "immunize" the mosque against these ideas.
"The proponents of these ideas are confined to the corridors of universities and around certain mosques," said Ghlamallah during a plenary session, the Council of the Nation, devoted to answers to oral questions. The minister stressed that the national effort in this area had led to "immunize" the mosque and imams against these ideas, adding that "commitment to defending the religious reference has become a national standard for recruitment of imams".
"The mosque is a social institution that must work in coordination and harmony with other institutions," said Ghlamallah.
Regarding the relationship between the imam and the religious association, the Minister recalled that it (the relationship) was "governed by the laws of the republic," adding that his department is waiting for the Ministry of Interior and local authorities present the draft revision of the law on associations to propose an amendment to even avoid any dispute between the imams of mosques and religious associations ".
Posted by: Fred ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
It's difficult to immunize yourself against a rapidly evolving superbug.
Posted by: Water Modem ||
12/25/2010 15:33 ||
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Ah yes, A-BASE-TOO-FAR-QATAR.
US worries over Iranian influence in strategic Qatar + escalating Islamist insurgency in the Arabian Penisula [read, ENTRANCE TO PERSIAN GULF], + MILTERR NUCLEARIZATION is what will help convince the US = US-ALLIES to finally undertake major Milaction agz Iran.
UNFORTUNATELY, IRAN + RADICAL ISLAM > will be in a MUCH STRONGER LOCAL, INTERNATIONAL MILPOL POSITION THAN AT PRESENT. The US will NOT look good even iff its military campaign agz Iran did succeed.
#2
ION PEOPLES DAILY > YEMEN TO DEPLOY ANTI-TERROR SECURITY FORCES IN FOUR PROVINCES. US deep worries vee AL-QAEDA-IN-YEMEN/ARABIAN PENINSULA [AQIY/AQAP].
[Asharq al-Aswat] Soddy Arabia's Ministry of Islamic Affairs has reaffirmed that it takes all threats issued against its Imams by the Al Qaeda organization "seriously" and that it will pass on any such threats to the security authorities.
This came after a number of Soddy Arabian imams and preachers in Riyadh revealed that they had received threats from Al Qaeda sympathizers during a meeting with Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh.
Undersecretary for the Ministry of Islamic Affairs Dr. Tawfiq al-Sudairi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the authorities have not ruled out imams and preachers being targeted by Al Qaeda.
Dr. al-Sudairi told Asharq Al-Awsat that "the latest Interior Ministry statement revealed that the Al Qaeda organization and these transgressors target [government] figures, scientists, security figures, and others. This approach is not surprising for such transgressors, for anybody who stands against them and reveals their falsehood will be targeted by them."
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs Undersecretary did not rule out Al Qaeda targeting imams and preachers affiliated to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, telling Asharq Al-Awsat "for this reason, we do not rule out imams and preachers who contribute to revealing the true nature of this deviant group being targeted."
During an open meeting with the Saudi Grand Mufti last week, a Saudi preacher who refused to give his name revealed that he had received threats from a person known to him after he had spoken out against Al Qaeda. The preacher said that he had chosen not to take the matter to the authorities as he wanted to do what was in the general interest, and he asked the Grand Mufti what he should do in this situation. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh told the unnamed Saudi preacher that he should beware, and that he should be on the lookout for the man responsible for threatening him, in an indication that he should take this matter to the authorities.
Ministry of Islamic Affairs Undersecretary Dr. Tawfiq al-Sudairi called on any imam or preacher who has been threatened by Al Qaeda to immediately report to this to Soddy Arabia's security authorities.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat, "I call upon all imams and preachers, in the event of any one of you receiving any threat from Al Qaeda, take this seriously and inform the Ministry of Islamic Affairs of this, or immediately take this matter up with the security authorities in order to combat such cases."
The Saudi Interior Ministry has contributed to combating Al Qaeda terrorism over the past 7 years by fostering real cooperation between the citizens and the security authorities, encouraging the public to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
These threats have opened the door to Soddy Arabia's imams and preachers being granted "terrorism recompense" [an increase in wages for facing the risk of terrorism] in the same manner as security officers and personnel.
However observers who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat described this as being "unrealistic" as "the [security] figures who work in the various government agencies are working to correct the [ideological] misconceptions that Al Qaeda rely upon in their operation, and they do not receive [financial] recompense such as this."
This represents the first time that any Saudi imam or preacher has revealed that he has received a threat against his life by a member of Al Qaeda, or an Al Qaeda sympathizer.
Sheikh Abdullah al-Hamid, the director of the Ministry of Islamic Affair's offices in the Riyadh region, stressed that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs that they will take any threat issued against any imam "seriously" adding that "we will investigate this matter and bring it up with the security authorities."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
More official beheadings, and faster. The government headsman needs work.
[Bangla Daily Star] Jamaat-e-Islami has demanded its ally BNP leave them more than 30 municipalities to go into the next month's polls while the main opposition thinks its own candidates will do better in those seats.
BNP staggers to the new crisis when it is still busy resolving internal conflicts in more than 100 constituencies over selecting candidates.
Talking to The Daily Star, a number of influential leaders of BNP termed Jamaat's demand impractical.
"I heard they [Jamaat] claimed a municipality in my area too, but I won't compromise as we have to win the polls," said Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, a former deputy minister, yesterday.
During a meeting with BNP leaders on Wednesday, Jamaat placed a list of candidates for more than 30 municipalities.
Jamaat leaders, however, refused to make any comment.
BNP insiders said the central and divisional leaders already finalised mayoral candidates for at least 150 municipalities.
The polls will be held on January 12, 13, 17 and 18 in more than 250 of 310 municipalities.
Dulu also said their candidates for 52 municipalities under Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions had been finalised.
Party Joint Secretary General Mohammad Shahjahan, who was assigned to pick candidates in seven municipalities in Noakhali and Comilla regions, said they have prepared the list of candidates for the seats except Begumganj municipality.
Party insiders said the central leaders are facing difficulties to select candidates for the municipalities in many districts including Chittagong, Faridpur, Rajbari, Bogra, Sherpur, Gaibandha and Mymensingh.
Jamaat wanted mayoral candidates in a number of municipalities under Rajshahi, Gaibandha, Chapainawabganj, Dinajpur and Nilphamari districts.
Party Senior Joint Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, also a member of the party's central monitoring committee for the polls, said candidates for the rest of the municipalities would be finalised in no time.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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[Bangla Daily Star] Opposition BNP has stepped up efforts to protect the war criminals after the arrest of its standing committee member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance yesterday alleged.
Meeting at the AL president's political office in Dhanmondi, the combine also refuted BNP's claim that the government is out to destroy the opposition in the name of war crimes trial.
Reiterating their backing for the move to try the war criminals, the 14-party leaders said the trial is necessary to entrench the rule of law.
The meeting presided over by the combine's coordinator Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury decided to hold a national convention of secular and democratic forces to mobilise public opinions in favour of the war crimes trial.
Talking to news hounds afterwards, AL's acting general secretary Dipu Moni urged the opposition to sever ties with the war criminals and purge them from their parties.
She said a propaganda campaign is on against the long-awaited trial.
Moni, also foreign minister, said the 14-party strongly supports the government's education policy which, it thinks, in no way festivities with the religious values.
The combine leaders, however, expressed concern about the price hike of essentials and urged the government to take immediate steps to contain the spiral.
They also suggested introducing mass rationing for the poor people.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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They also suggested introducing mass rationing for the poor people
Blessed are the poor, for they shall avoid confession.
[Jerusalem Post] The Greek government on Thursday condemned a high-level Orthodox priest for making anti-Semitic statements during a television interview.
The Metropolite of Piraeus Seraphim blamed world Jewry for Greece's financial problems and for other ills in the country during an appearance Monday on Mega TV, Greece's largest television network.
"It is not the role of the government to judge and comment on priests' statements. But it is the government's obligation to condemn the language of hatred by whoever expresses them," Greek government front man George Petalotis, an assistant minister to Prime Minister George Papandreou said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon. "It is the government's duty to stigmatize as unacceptable the language that denies the Holocaust, the biggest crime against humanity. These views are pushed to the margins. They insult Greece. They insult our culture. They insult our very society of which the Greek Jewish Community is an inseparable part.
"Every one should know that the Greek polity and our society condemn them unequivocally," the statement concluded.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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The Metropolite of Piraeus Seraphim blamed world Jewry for Greece's financial problems
#2
The Metropolite of Piraeus Seraphim blamed world Jewry for Greece's financial problems and for other ills in the country during an appearance Monday on Mega TV, Greece's largest television network.
Yes, but now that Israel and Turkey aren't best friends any more, Greece is being permitted to buy Israeli weapons and the Greek army is being allowed to practice with Israel's army... and Israel knows what the Turkish army can do, and some of their plans. The Greek government is smart to cultivate an alliance that never was possible before, in part because of Greek antisemitism.
#2
Why does he have any visitors at all? Other than his lawyer, of course. The lawyer should be under a gag order, as well.
Manning can be gagged too, for all I care.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
12/25/2010 13:59 Comments ||
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#3
If found guilty, Manning faces up to 52 years in prison.
Don't worry little traitor - in about 15 years people might forget enough to let you out of solitary for limited times and in 25 years you might be able to get into the General Prison Population. OTOH - some people have very long memories.
#5
He should get the same treatment as anyone harmed by his disclosures. If that's death, so be it. Merry Christmas, Manning. May you live long and suffer greatly.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/25/2010 15:06 Comments ||
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[Geo News] Leader of Pakistain People's Party Aitzaz Ahsan Friday said that the investigation into Benazir Bhutto's liquidation should have started from 'Musharraf'.
Talking exclusively to Geo News on the occasion of Rasm-e-Qul of the mother of Presidential front man, Aitzaz Ahsan said the arrest of Saud Aziz is like getting to one of the pawns that will ultimately lead to the elements that were behind the orchestration of the crime.
He said the blood of Benazir Bhutto will not go unfruitful and the PPP-led government will certainly put a noose around the neck of her murderers.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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[Geo News] Thousands of people rallied in major Pak cities on Friday threatening further protests and anarchy if the government moves to amend a controversial blasphemy law.
A ruling Pakistain Peoples Party politician sparked outcry last month by seeking to end the death penalty for blasphemy, after a Christian mother of five was sentenced to hang for defaming the Prophet Mohammed (SAW).
Demonstrators marched in the eastern city of Lahore, the port city of Bloody Karachi and the central city of Multan, after influential religious parties called for protests to defend the law.
A crowd of nearly 1,500 people gathered in Lahore, calling for "Jihad" and pledging to sacrifice their lives to protect the honour of Prophet Mohammad.
They also warned that attempts to soften the law would trigger nationwide protests.
"Pakistain was created in the name of Islam and we will not tolerate any attempt to amend the law," a leader of the pro-Taliban Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Maulana Ahmad Khan told the participants.
Former information minister and politician from the ruling Pakistain Peoples Party government, Sherry Rehman in November submitted a draft bill in the lower house seeking an end to death penalty under the existing law. English-language newspaper Dawn had quoted Rehman as saying that the law victimised minorities in the country.
Rights activists also say the law encourages extremism in a nation already beseiged by Taliban attacks.
Addressing a separate rally of over 500 people in Lahore, a leader of the banned charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Husnain Siddiqui said, "We will launch a national movement against all those politicians, who support efforts to amend the law."
Politicians and conservative holy mans have been at loggerheads over whether President Asif Ali President Ten Percent Zardari ... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who showed remarkably little curiosity about who actually done her in ... should pardon Asia Bibi, the Christian mother who was sentenced to death under the blasphemy law.
Pakistain has yet to execute anyone for blasphemy, but Bibi's case has exposed the deep faultlines in the conservative country.
In the port city of Bloody Karachi, more than 2,000 people rallied against Rehman's proposed draft bill and demanded the government had Bibi a severe punishment for insulting Prophet Mohammad (SAW).
Bibi was jugged in June 2009 after Mohammedan women labourers refused to drink from a bowl of water she was asked to fetch while out working in the fields.
Days later, the women complained that she made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed. Bibi was set upon by a mob, jugged by police and sentenced on November 8.
Leaders of JUI and radical Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party warned that the government would "face a strong reaction if Bibi was pardoned."
"The government should forget about amending the blasphemy law as any attempt in this regard will prove fatal," a local religious leader Yahya Ludhianvi said.
Most of those convicted of blasphemy in Pakistain have their sentences overturned or commuted on appeal through the courts.
Rights activists and pressure groups say it is the first time that a woman had been sentenced to hang in Pakistain for blasphemy.
Only around three percent of Pakistain's population of 167 million are estimated to be non-Mohammedan.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
'Death to blasphemers' is obviously one of the secret pillars of Islam. All the other secret pillars start with 'Death to -- '.
#2
Perv managed to put these recalcitrants in their place by tricking them into supporting a viciously anti-female, and highly unpopular law, just before elections. Pity they can't pull the same hat trick again with this.
[Geo News] Interior Minister Rehman Malik Friday called upon the Mohammedan Ummah to condemn suicide kabooms in one voice and declare them un-Islamic to eliminate the cancer of terrorism, Geo News reported Friday.
Addressing the 11th Economic Cooperation Organization conference here, Rehman Malik called for changing a mindset that makes jacket wallahs.
The Interior Minister proposed hammering out a unanimous policy against terrorism by convening an interior secretaries level meeting.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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[Ma'an] Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, remains committed to its truce with Israel, a senior leader of the Paleostinian Islamist movement, Mahmoud Warty Nose Zahhar, said Friday, despite the increase in rocket attacks from the Gazoo Strip.
"We declare our commitment to respecting the truce between us and the occupier," Zahhar told a gathering in the Gazoo town of Khan Younis.
"Despite the sacrifices, we announce that we continue to respect the truce," said Zahhar, who is considered the most influential Hamas leader in Gazoo.
And he called on Israel to reciprocate and "stop incursions [into Gazoo], halt killings of Paleostinians and lift the blockade" imposed on the coastal enclave.
Hamas, which controls Gazoo, says it has observed a de facto truce with Israel since the January 2009 end of a 22-day Israeli offensive on the strip aimed at halting rocket fire by Paleostinian bad turbans.
Attacks have since been considerably reduced but more than 200 rockets and shells, most of them homemade, have been fired into Israel since early 2010, according to the Israeli military.
More radical groups have since last Sunday targeted southern Israel with 23 rounds of mortar fire and three rockets, one of which slightly maimed a small girl, the military said.
Israel, which holds Hamas to account, has urged the UN Security Council to issue a "clear and resolute" message to Islamic fascistiagainst firing rockets into its territory from Gazoo, in a letter made public Wednesday.
In a tit-for-tat move, Hamas said it would appeal to the international body to act against the "threat of further aggression against the Paleostinians."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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[Ma'an] Prime Minister in Gazoo Ismail Haniyeh has decided to reshuffle his cabinet, a Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, official said Friday.
Hamas front man Taher An-Nunu said Haniyeh formed a special committee to meet with factions and national figures to offer them positions in the new government.
"Hanieyah designated Kahlil Al-Haya to head the committee with Ismail Al-Ashqar and Yousef Rezqa, Haniyeh's political advisor, as members," An-Nunu said.
The committee will start meeting with national and Islamic factions this week, he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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Posted by: Water Modem ||
12/25/2010 16:07 ||
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#1
...Scramble tends to be quite accurate, and I'll point out that the '?' in question seem to be for forward operating locations and bases that don't appear to be officially acknowledged.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
12/25/2010 18:47 Comments ||
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are conducting various protests, some for higher wages(or even some wages), some for lower prices, some against torturing union officials
still scattered
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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This might be our last chance to support regime change in Iran.
We should do everything in our power to assist the strikers and tighten the economic noose around the mad mullahs or face the consequences of inaction for years to come.
#2
The unions have sold their votes for liberals benefits and pensions in America--one of the reasons cities, States, and the Fed is going broke. Sic em on Iran mullahs--they deserve at least the same.
Somehow I've managed to miss the tradition of Christmas fireworks displays.
An audiotaped threat, entitled "The Zero Hour has arrived" and directed to "the unbeliever and Christian countries celebrating Christmas", a 'jihadist' said Christmas fireworks displays will set off terrorist bombs, the SITE monitoring group said.
The one minute recording bears the voice of a member of the Shumukh al-Islam forum, said the monitor.
According to SITE, the speaker claimed failure to heed warnings to stop bloodshed in Muslim countries would result in attacks.
"Your (Christmas) fireworks will act as an alarm for the time of our devices to blow up -- devices that we, not Santa Claus, are going to offer to you as gifts, to turn your night into day and your blood into rivers," he said.
#1
Your (Christmas) fireworks will act as an alarm for the time of our devices to blow up -- devices that we, not Santa Claus, are going to offer to you as gifts, to turn your night into day and your blood into rivers.
quote by Pam Geller,
"It's a bad day for Nazis and Jew-haters. This is a huge victory for us. Our objective was achieved: the Jew-hate ads have been dropped from Seattle buses after we exposed their hypocrisy." [Pam's 'expose hypocrisy' note was that the Metrobus canceled all political ads rather than run a pro Israel ad]
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
12/25/2010 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Tolo News] Waste and misuse of US funding intended for reconstruction of Afghanistan peaks at millions of dollars, said a special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction
said Friday, despite the increase in rocket attacks from the 
[Ma'an] Prime Minister in 
