Power-Sharing - Goftaman.com

Figure 3: U.S. Assistance to Afghanistan6,000.005,000.004,000.00U.S.$ Millions3,000.002,000.001,000.000.002001/3 2003/4 2004/52005/6Source: Afghan Ministry of Finance.YearU.S. PledgesU.S. CommitmentsU.S. DisbursementsThree of the largest donors, however—the United States, Japan, and Germany—insisted on weakening these provisions. U.S. officials claim that the U.S. government’sfiduciary responsibility to taxpayers makes it difficult to channel money through theAfghan government’s budget. Like other donors, the United States cites the prevalence ofcorruption and lack of capacity in Afghanistan, which are valid concerns, though they donot prevent the UK from channeling aid through the budget. The argument of fiduciaryresponsibility, however, collapses under the weight of evidence of what the U.S.government actually does with much of taxpayers’ money in Afghanistan. It disburses itto U.S.-based contractors who spend a significant (and unreported) part of the fundssetting up office. In one case, their services were of such poor quality that the Afghanministry they were supposed to help expelled them. Security regulations sometimesprevent U.S. contractors from implementing projects in the field and impose significant37