STONE STEPS - U.S. Army Spc. Joshua M. McLay shows Afghan soldiers how to properly sight an M14 rifle during Operation Stone Steps at Nangalam Base in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province, May 31, 2011. U.S. soldiers trained the Afghan soldiers on various marksmanship and weapons training throughout the four-day operation. McLay is an infantry squad designated marksman assigned to the 25th Infantry Division's Company A, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt 1st Class Mark BurrellAfghan Nation-Building Programs Not Sustainable, Report Says -- Washington Post
The hugely expensive U.S. attempt at nation-building in Afghanistan has had only limited success and may not survive an American withdrawal, according to the findings of a two-year congressional investigation to be released Wednesday.
The report calls on the administration to rethink urgently its assistance programs as President Obama prepares to begin drawing down the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan this summer.
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My Comment: Someone has to do the proper research and documentation that explains how spending billions in aid programs will never succeed in a country whose cultural, political, and social structures exist in the 7th century while aid agencies are trying to implement a 21rst century model.
$320 million a month on foreign aid in Afghanistan, and very little to show for it. This is a disaster in the making .... and one that will guarantee a Taliban victory after Western forces withdraw in 2014. Fortunately, this realization is starting to hit Democrat senators, and I predict that as the Afghan mess gets worse, Republican senators will be on board by the end of this year.