A New Threat to Afghanistan
Countries: Afghanistan
Afghanistan is facing a dangerous new threat, but it does not involve suicide bombers or roadside explosives.
As the Washington Post reports, government corruption is threatening to topple Afghanistan’s fledgling democracy in the wake of a presidential election plagued by delayed vote tallies and reports of voter intimidation. The Wall Street Journal explains that corruption in Afghanistan is so pervasive that the United States and its allies are reconsidering their strategy in dealing with President Hamid Karzai. Allegations of misconduct are so prevalent that the U.S. has begun to view Karzai not as an ally, but as a liability in their effort to reconstruct the war-torn nation.
USAID recently released a report that said roughly two-thirds of Afghans had been victimized by a corrupt government official — the highest level ever recorded. In a country where the average person makes $700 a year, it takes a $400 bribe to be connected to the electrical grid.
If it's allowed to continue unchecked, the report says, corruption will make it impossible for Afghanistan to develop an economy capable of attracting foreign investment and aid.
Despite the obstacles to eliminating corruption, one organization has begun to make headway. The Christian Science Monitor reports how a multinational relief effort called the Aga Khan Development Network has begun to train Afghan villagers in basic accounting techniques. The villagers — who are now able to audit their community’s financial records — are better able to prevent embezzlement and theft. While the organization's efforts have so far met with success, they're only one soldier in the fight against a serious problem.
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If graft and corruption are
If graft and corruption are endemic, knowing where the lost money is going is only half the battle. The local corrupt leaders bribe the next person up the line, who does the same, etc. Replacing corrupt local officials with honest officials, who presumably are not bribing the person at the next level up, may be admirable, but in the short term, may leave the villagers unable to procure the services they need. The Development Network is a good start, but the problem should also be attacked from the top down. We have to hope that our government does not back down in its attempts to reduce the rot that pervades the core of the Afghan government.
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