Aram Roston's Nation cover story on taxpayer dollars being used to pay off the Taliban created a stir of controversy, and after a six-month investigation, Congress has confirmed that Afghan warlords are receiving payoffs through a $2.16 billion contract between the US Army and eight civilian trucking firms in Afghanistan.
GRITtvIn a November cover story, Nation writer Aram Roston detailed how US taxpayer dollars are being channeled into Afghan warlords’ coffers; Congress took note of the story and launched a six-month investigation. The subsequent report, which The Nation was able to obtain in advance, confirms that Afghan warlords are receiving payoffs through a $2.16 billion contract between the US Army and eight civilian trucking firms in Afghanistan.
Is this kind of corruption just part of doing business in Afghanistan? "The whole point is that you have to know where the money is going," Roston tells Laura Flanders on GritTV, and he goes on to talk about the investigation, the implications of the findings, and the controversy General McChrystal now finds himself in.
—Carrie Battan
GRITtvGRITtv with Laura Flanders is a new, news and arts discussion show, available daily, in multiple formats, with interactivity and a positive take on what's going on. The show launched May 12, 2008.