Progress in Afghanistan is stymied by government corruption
In Balkh province, counter-corruption chief Shamsullah Jawid says low pay for public servants, a general atmosphere of lawlessness, poor levels of education and a sense of despondency about Afghanistan's future all allow corruption to flourish.
"Not only in Balkh, in the entire northern zone, administrative corruption has proliferated to a level where people have completely lost faith in government," he said. "At the anti-graft meeting in Mazar-e Sharif, Nek Baba had little faith that the authorities had any intention of changing things.
"This gathering is an attempt to deceive people," he said. "For God's sake, do not pour salt on our wounds any more."
Golab Shah Bawar is a reporter in Afghanistan who writes for The Institute for War & Peace Reporting, a nonprofit organization that trains journalists in areas of conflict.
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Gee, what a surprise.
A region that has been defined by violence and corruption and in-tribe fighting isn't a peaceful Democracy just because America asked them to "play nice?"
Did we learn nothing from the British More..
So, how is Afghanistan much different than our own capitol? Corruption there has kept us from making much real progress, too. And that will continue until Citizens United has been overturned, term limits are in place, and campaign finance reform More..
Vice President Biden is correct, whe have given and are giving Afganistan a shot at being a free country (free of being under the thumb of the Taliban). Now we are leaving in 2014 period, (if President Obama is re-elected). Afganistan may succeed or More..