The best Afghanistan story yet! And the lessons? Soviets should have never built the tunnel separating Pashtunistan from the North. US should leave Karazi alone, and the "corruption" is just the way of doing business in Afghanistan. Everybody is practicing it, not just Karazi government. Once upon a time, working for UN in Yemen, I was one of those "shocked" at the notion that USAID merchandise was sold openly on the shelves of all stores. Boldly, accross little metal oil containers, is a red-white-and-blue flag, with the words printed over it: "Not to be sold or exchanged". In other words, the oil, sugar, flour and other staples were to be distributed to people. But they were instead given as a bribe, to be sold to merchants that then retailed them everywhere. Every day, in shops, I would meet staff from USAID, UN Agencies and others. We would buy the same clearly imprinted containers and bags. Is it any different today? For starters, USAID knew exactly who received the goods, and knew exactly what will happen with them. And never complained about the neat little money making schema. It is because, whoever took over the goods from USAID took it under understanding that US interests were to be observed in return. It is simple, very simple. The armies of coordinators, project managers and other "enthusiasts" actually know what is up, and only idiots waste their time on "corruption". Of course, until the "memo" is received to complain about corruption. The entire relationship of foreign presence --- on all levels --- is corrupt through and through. Keep all that money here in US. No more "help", no more project managers and coordinators. No more paying for their rents, cars, gas, computers and daily expenses. While we are at it, withdraw all the armies of "do gooders" that infest all countries of this planet. Bring them all back to their cozy Western homes. US could save hundreds of billions by eliminating just these non military expenses. As there are over 800 bases worldwide, even a modest civilian expenditure in the country will add up to over 100 billion. And add to this the more intensive civilian infrastructure and the expenses for "aid" and the armies of NGO's, one can easily add another 500 billion. These are the moneys that those countries will not miss. This will reduce the corruption, as there will be no funds to grease the wheels of corruption. And we can return that money back to the US middle class, the only victim of this "recession". It is not a recession for Wall Street, and the sacred trust funds for the weathly have been saved. Now, their offspring will not have to worry about working for living --- they can count on getting income from their trusts, the day they are born. We the taxpayers have saved them from loosing the money they so greedily put in those fabulous financial instruments. We have paid up to keep those instruments, the "toxic assets" frozen and "valuable", with out future income. Our savings have gone down the drain. Our 401K will not help anyone to retire. So, let us save the world from corruption. Let us bring our money, the root of all the corruption, back home. Along with the hundreds of thousands of "coordinators", "project managers" and other distributors of corrupt goods and cash. And the armies of human rights activists, teachers and journalists. And anyone who is there on taxpayers expense. Then decide what to do with the armed forces. Before we give a dime about it, let us have everything else back, please!