Even by the standards of Karzai's government this is extraordinary
James Forsyth 6:02pm
The story, ‘Afghan Minister accused of taking bribe’ might seem depressingly predictable. But the accusations in today’s Washington Post are shocking even by the standards of the Karzai government. The paper reports that a US official has confirmed that there is a ‘high degree of certainty’ that the Afghan Minister of Mines took a $30 million bribe from a Chinese company in December 2007 to award it a $2.9 billion contract. It should be noted, that the Minister of Mines strongly denies the accusation.
But the timing of this story and its source, a US official, is interesting. It seems to fit with a pattern of efforts to try and push Karzai into cleaning up his government’s act and cutting down on the most egregious examples of corruption. If Karzai refuses to do this, it will become ever harder for Western governments to justify to their publics supporting his government.
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Tankus
November 18th, 2009 6:08pm Report this commentTimed release to give Obama something to play with in China ? rather than Afghanistan. ...you think ?
Norman Dee
November 18th, 2009 6:57pm Report this commentCan't wait to find out what Karzai's cut was, don't be so naive to think he hasn't had one.
In2minds
November 18th, 2009 7:16pm Report this commentWhat's the difference between a bribe and unreliable accounts? Remember it's 15 years in the waiting to have the EU accounts signed off. Why not just forget about it and carry on?
Augustus
November 18th, 2009 7:36pm Report this commentThe overriding question must be, do Afghans really need a majestic parliament building, a palatial house for the president, five star hotels and nicely suited dummies as rulers in Kabul and Kandahar? They need schools, clean drinking water, some pills for that headache which refuses to go away,
some money to buy food for their kids, and a little assistance to kick-start their farming, or that little shop in a mud hut.
David Lindsay
November 18th, 2009 8:28pm Report this commentRemember, our boys died for this.
Naomi Muse
November 18th, 2009 8:47pm Report this commentWhat's the difference between Afghan minister's being accused of taking bribes and British Lords taking money for parliamentary questions?
Snowman
November 18th, 2009 8:50pm Report this commentAugustus @ 7.36: how do you the latter without a system of governance, (not necessarily ours though).
Frank P
November 18th, 2009 9:00pm Report this commentObviously the Yanks didn't offer a big enough bribe; $2.9m on a $30b deal seems remarkably modest on the normal scale of bribery in international deals. Sounds like sour grapes.
Chuck Unsworth
November 18th, 2009 9:29pm Report this comment"It should be noted, that the Minister of Mines strongly denies the accusation."
You bet! What was he going to do? Admit?
Where Western political leaders fall down is their apparently unshakeable belief in a common view of the world. Why do they think people such as Karzai have the same moralities?
This doesn't need dressing up into 'acceptability'. These people are different animals. That is all.
Jez
November 18th, 2009 10:27pm Report this commentAnother British lad killed on Wednesday morning, Royal Military Police. Reports indicate this was in a fire-fight.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8367444.stm
And what for?
The Chinese to sign a lucrative mining deal whilst paying a back-hander to some 'Aghan'?
Mind you, the 'big story' from our media is that several looters were beaten up in Iraq a few years back- this whilst the main population there had risen up in a spontaneous orgy of looting and violence.
The world has gone crazy.
Laban Tall
November 18th, 2009 11:34pm Report this commentPerhaps Afghan 'nation-building' should be handed over to the Chinese. I'm sure, as in Tibet, they'd do a thorough job.
Augustus
November 19th, 2009 1:18am Report this commentSnowman - Put genuinely respected Afghan tribal elders in charge.
Jez
November 19th, 2009 9:16am Report this commentNaomi Muse; Yes you're right. Both corrupt groups should be tried- and on a guilty verdict, vigorously flailed in pubic.
Augustus; Yes you're right. They should. We (NATO) should spontaneously pull out now, thus making you're suggestion an immediate reality (a rather bloody one at that) and then if any poppy fields / terrorist camps spring up use all means to persuade this prospective 'elder' goverment of Afghanistan to cease this behaviour; with C130's, F16's, Cruise missles, Napalm etc, etc.
This is why we have satelites.
R King
November 19th, 2009 10:08am Report this commentGood to know that we and the Americans would never offer bribes to the Saudi's for arms contracts.
Vulture
November 19th, 2009 10:45am Report this commentIsn't 'Karzai' old British Army slang for 'toilet'? How appropriate is that.
The Masked Marvel
November 19th, 2009 6:20pm Report this commentThis is all just part of the effort to discredit the entire enterprise, so that Obama can withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan without blame. Gordon Brown and the rest of them have been voicing the corollary: if we can't do right by British troops, we shall withdraw them entirely.
It has been known since the very beginning that the Afghans are cavemen, without the sense of loyalty or propriety that most Westerners take for granted. They have always been open to bribery and corruption, in fact it has been a way of life there for millenia. It has also long been known that the Chinese are equally bribery happy, so this comes as no surprise. Not just because it's Karzai's government, but because it's Afghanis, full stop.
This is no surprise, all of it known for ages. The timing of this revelation and the accompanying faux outrage, however, is perfect for the surrender crowd. Those who have always wanted the US (and associates) out of Afghanistan will get their way now, as our current leaders have at last found their excuse.
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