Bitcoin Forum

Economy => Economics => Topic started by: Hydrogen on March 28, 2018, 11:28:33 PM



Title: Billions In US Funds Disappeared in Afghanistan To “Fraud, Waste And Abuse”
Post by: Hydrogen on March 28, 2018, 11:28:33 PM
Quote
A new report from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD IG) exposes even more fraud, waste and/or corruption in America’s ongoing war in Afghanistan. This latest report reveals that more than $3.1 billion of U.S. taxpayer funds provided to the Afghan Armed Forces from 2014 through 2017 was grossly mismanaged.

According to the DoD IG, U.S. military leaders overseeing operations in Afghanistan "failed to accurately record" some 95,000 vehicles transferred to Afghan Armed Forces, along with fuel expenses and maintenance costs to keep the vehicles operational. The report issued last Wednesday was the last in a series of DoD IG audits that examined the Pentagon for “systemic challenges” in how senior officials oversee U.S. direct funding to the Afghan Armed Forces said the Military Times.

The DoD IG warned the lack of accountability via military leaders overseeing Afghanistan leaves U.S. taxpayer funds vulnerable to "fraud, waste, and abuse."


“Combined Security Transition Command–Afghanistan (CSTC-A) officials did not effectively manage and oversee the U.S. direct funding provided to the Ministries of Defense and Interior, which oversee Afghanistan’s Army and National Police, respectively,” the report stated.

“CSTC-A management and oversight of the direct funding is intended to increase [Afghan security forces] effectiveness and capabilities so the [forces] can become more professional and increasingly self-sustaining.”

Stars and Stripes, an American military newspaper, said military officials blame, what else, “inadequate staffing and security concerns” for any financial discrepancies. However, the DoD IG audit determined systemic issues are to blame.

CSTC-A officials established unrealistic and unattainable goals for the Afghans to improve their own capabilities toward achieving independence in supplying their own troops, the IG also found.

Instead, the Afghan government has remained reliant on the United States to furnish its supplies because American officials have not provided adequate training, according to the report.

Additionally, the report stated CSTC-A officials have not enforced penalties within U.S. agreements with the Afghan government. Penalties include levying fines when terms and conditions of contracts are not met, such as providing detailed logs of vehicle maintenance and fuel consumption data.

Stars and Stripes provides a summary of the latest findings from the DoD IG report:

For example, Afghan officials only provided CSTC-A fuel consumption reports for the Afghan army when directly requested by the United States, though contracts require biweekly reports. The IG concluded the United States cannot be certain that at least $174 million worth of fuel was properly used.

CSTC-A also cannot properly track the status of some 95,000 vehicles that the United States has given the Afghans because officials did not properly inventory the types and quantities of vehicles provided.

Furthermore, the IG blamed CSTC-A officials for failing to properly train the Afghans to maintain those vehicles, leaving the U.S. military to spend about $21 million to replace engines and transmissions that should have been the Afghans responsibility.

The IG report was the eighth and final report in a series of oversight investigations into CSTC-A functions since 2015. The reports have uncovered widespread issues within the command, including the commands’ inability to account for more than $700 million of ammunition provided to the Afghan security forces between 2015 and 2017.

As a result of the Pentagon’s lousy accounting practices, if not outright fraud and embezzlement, the audit notes that CSTC-A officials did not have the assurance that “$3.1 billion in U.S. direct funding was used entirely for the intended purposes.”

In other words, just over $3 billion may have been stolen
.

And lastly, we will leave you with David Stockman, the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan, who recently appeared on Fox Business — calling out Trump’s record-setting defense spending for fiscal year 2018/19 as absolutely “crazy.” To that, all we can add is that with all the “fraud, waste, and abuse” via the Pentagon in America’s endless wars, the next war would leave the country even more insolvent than it is already.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-03-28/pentagon-billions-us-funds-disappeared-afghanistan-fraud-waste-and-abuse

....

Not certain anyone cares about this.  :-\

Having weakly followed these types of things over the past 10 years or so. There seems to be a strange tendency whereby anytime weapons or money "disappear" or due to "bad accounting practices" or whatever explanation is utilized in an effort to explain these things. The weapons and money which disappear have a strange tendency to end up in the hands of ISIS, terrorist organizations, drug cartels or other illicit activities.

Its an interesting point. The media spams us with constant stories about how bitcoin and crypto might be utilized to fund "terrorist activities".

Yet, for anyone who bothers to keep track there are billions of dollars disappearing in afghanistan, mexico and other countries which have a mysterious tendency to end up in the hands of ISIS or mexican drug cartels. And so, I wonder why these stories do not make the news more or receive more publicity.


Title: Re: Billions In US Funds Disappeared in Afghanistan To “Fraud, Waste And Abuse”
Post by: buytheeffinD on March 29, 2018, 12:15:50 AM
Two reasons why they don't make front news

1) The power behind the people who own the money and send it is immense and they probably censor the media

2) Nobody would believe that the US dollar in Central Banks all around the world is and has been funding wars for a long time now.

I know it is a blog but you can't ignore these things, especially if they keep coming up. They mention the Panama Papers which I haven't looked into just yet, but it is worth a read I am sure.

https://dollarvigilante.com/blog/2016/08/21/trillionaire-rothschild-warns-central-banking-system-failing-buys-gold.html


Title: Re: Billions In US Funds Disappeared in Afghanistan To “Fraud, Waste And Abuse”
Post by: liseff3 on March 29, 2018, 02:42:07 AM
Thank you, OP. Articles and the topics are very useful.

Its an interesting point. The media spams us with constant stories about how bitcoin and crypto might be utilized to fund "terrorist activities".

True, the media have apparently lost their identity and professionalism, the media are unconscious (not caring) that what they publish in fact have generated social trigger jealousy over the wider community.

2) Nobody would believe that the US dollar in Central Banks all around the world is and has been funding wars for a long time now.

But I believe and this has become a public secret, that they are the real masterminds of all the disasters of war that occurred.


Title: Re: Billions In US Funds Disappeared in Afghanistan To “Fraud, Waste And Abuse”
Post by: pinkflower on March 29, 2018, 03:21:36 AM
Watch "American Made" starring Tom Mr. Scientology Cruise. Maybe something like that is happening all over the world while we are busy in here arguing about cryptocurrencies and the littlest things lol.



Title: Re: Billions In US Funds Disappeared in Afghanistan To “Fraud, Waste And Abuse”
Post by: Kingofbitcoin12345 on March 29, 2018, 03:37:30 AM
That’s what war is started for,, to secretly hide the corruption.. This is the true reason why America is not the greatest country now.. The government or the officials are willing to take the actions outside their own country because they truly have a personal motive that most Americans must know about,, but ignored because of media manipulation..

This is an open secret to our society,, but because of power and bad reputation of America being war freak to those who oppose most country just keep a blind eye and quiet..



Title: Re: Billions In US Funds Disappeared in Afghanistan To “Fraud, Waste And Abuse”
Post by: pinkflower on March 30, 2018, 02:52:15 AM
This is the true reason why America is not the greatest country now..


But America still has the greatest military and still has control of the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world. Thats what makes them one of the greatest countries on Earth.

You say America has trillions in debt. But what if they dont want to pay? Good luck going against their military lol.


Title: Re: Billions In US Funds Disappeared in Afghanistan To “Fraud, Waste And Abuse”
Post by: trecore4 on March 30, 2018, 03:18:52 AM
These things are way beyond the common man's reach like you and me. I mean come on read the article twice and get all the hevay words out of it, the America, Mexican drug cartel, Afghanistan, millitary, drugs and much more which isn't what we talk about everytime.

If we are talking about billions of dollars vanishing like that then how difficult is it to manage the mass media and ask them to make news the way they want. The news is always 10% true and 90% made up or covered up if you don't have any video evidence or written evidence for it.


Title: Re: Billions In US Funds Disappeared in Afghanistan To “Fraud, Waste And Abuse”
Post by: spikyz on March 30, 2018, 03:22:23 AM
War is about making profit and money. just like election.

the armory need to be restocked and some ppl will profit handsomely.