This is a good article on what's happening in Pakistan...you know the government and military that provides cover for terrorist groups...we've spent 5 Billion dollars there and have no idea where the money went (sound familiar?) except, we know it didn't go where it was supposed to.

[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. Musharraf the Con Man



A week back, I sat in an Upper East Side bistro with two well known Pakistani intellectuals discussing the developments in their homeland. Both it seemed had no shortage of family friends and connections on the various political camps in Pakistan: with the Army, Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto (“Beebee” as they called her) and Nawaz Sharif. There was a great sense of frustration and a clear accord on what the near future held. It was a gloomy, depressing vision. Musharraf, being now ensconced as president, would return to the same system of alliances he had made the basis for his government since the first coup that brought him to power. He would rig the elections to insure himself a working majority.


The result? Musharraf would be still more unpopular than before, and notwithstanding the aura of elections, less legitimate. His basis for governing would be still narrower. And the educated, professional elites who would form the core of any effort to move the country out of its current morass would be more alienated, and more angry than ever. The Musharraf period has been a relentless spiral downwards for Pakistan. And Pakistan continues to be the real center stage in what the Bush Administration likes to call the war on terror—safe harbor and breeding grounds for a plethora of violent organizations.


American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has delivered up year-end remarks in which she congratulates herself on [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. Rice, of course, hopes that no one examines that claim too closely. In fact the year has marked a series of stunning reversals for her foreign policy stewardship. Nowhere are those set-backs more dramatic than in Pakistan—one country where Rice urged, and the White House rather belatedly adopted, a shift designed finally to try to nudge the country’s leadership out of the grave they’ve been digging themselves. It was, however, a classic case of too little, too late.


In sum, the Bush Administration’s Neoconservative team met their match for confidence artistry in a military man named Pervez Musharraf. He presented himself as the only game in town, the man they had to come to love—or else. And in this way, Musharraf was able to get his way on just about everything—picking their pockets as he went along.



Four reporters from the New York Times give us an [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. at how he did it in an important survey published today. They put the impressive bill right up front:

After the United States has spent more than $5 billion in a largely failed effort to bolster the Pakistani military effort against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, some American officials now acknowledge that there were too few controls over the money.


The strategy to improve the Pakistani military, they said, needs to be completely revamped.


In interviews in Islamabad and Washington, Bush Administration and military officials said they believed that much of the American money was not making its way to frontline Pakistani units. Money has been diverted to help finance weapons systems designed to counter India, not Al Qaeda or the Taliban, the officials said, adding that the United States has paid tens of millions of dollars in inflated Pakistani reimbursement claims for fuel, ammunition and other costs.


“I personally believe there is exaggeration and inflation,” said a senior American military official who has reviewed the program, referring to Pakistani requests for reimbursement. “Then, I point back to the United States and say we didn’t have to give them money this way.”

~snip~

You can read the whole article at the link...it talks about Musharraf's agenda, Osama bin Laden, and the 'Democracy' of Pakistan...for those who may be interested.

KJ

100% critical as always, we wouldn't expect it any other way.

But for once how about offer some WORKABLE alternatives? is that asking too much of you?

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Oh yes, lets just keep throwing American tax dollars at them in the hope that they will self-correct their problems and turn over remaining Taliban and whatever remnants of Al Qaeida there are.

God, you sound like one of them Democrats.

You know you totally missed the point of my question. And instead of coming up with a viable working suggestion like I asked for, you resort to making yourself look .........................


Its your call buddy and you chose to make yourself look like this. I didn't do it, but thanks for making it so easy for me to point out.

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good point..since most of us ave Americans which aren't privy to the intell our Leaders are can't come up with a solution, then who are we to complain and want change. Be silent you fools...the Eye sees all and knows all. back to work..no complaining....work work work.

Throwing billions of dollars away as usual. Our government spends more money on stupid stupid things. When ther are soooo many good things that money to go to. Especially when that money "IS" part of money that we borrowed from some other country. Because this government, and this administration, just like the 109th and the 108th, have done.
It needs to stop. We are going bankrupt trying to fix every problem in the world. It's the exact opposite of the "terrorist" trying to change our way of life.
We don't want to be changed. And if things got as bad here as they are over there, the American people would have a revolution. As if we are not that close to having one right now because of the immigration, Iraq, CIA, NSA, fuel prices and all the other things they keep doing to us.

That money they are wasting in Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, could be spent on bridge repair, cures for cancer, aids. It could be given back to people to start small busines's or to send their kids to college.
We don't get the option of where our money goes. And we should. Because the majority of Americans couldn't care one bit about Pakistan, afghanistan or any other "stan".

$5 billion could put AP units on every truck int he USA. Which would reduce our consumption and polution. (had to throw in something for the truckers)

How about oversight, management and a workable plan Brickman...that would work...isn't that what the 'decider' is supposed to do? We've done nothing but swagger around the ME throwing money around like a drunk American in a Cambodian ##### house...

Look at this..Bush policy's got us here...there has not been ANY oversight of the money, arms, policy...contractors...until the Dems got in...and what do YOU do..you complain.

You must not care what happens to our country or our children...because we are creating such a bill, and I don't mean just financially, that it will be generations before it's paid...I just hope people will remember who put us at risk like that...Bush and the Republicans...

KJ

Its sad to say that most money givin to foreign countrys is misused. Cut em all off and let them all fend for themselves I say.

I think we can help but instead of giving money we need to teach them to fish...help them with clean water, solar power, computers for their children, education etc...throwing money at a problem...giving with one hand while destabilizing the region with the other is poor policy...and we've done and are doing way too much of the later.

KJ

I think they are grown up enough that we dont need to give them squat. The sad fact is, the money we give these countrys are takin in by thier goverments and missued. The people of these nations need to rise up on thier own and overthrough thier goverements if they are corrupt. Wont be hard to do when we cut them off. This illusion the world has about America will help us, they always do needs to come to an end and they need to take off thier diapers and go potty on the big boys toilet.