Diplomatic Challenges Quotes
Passman’s committee controlled foreign aid appropriations and there was considerable political hostility to the U. S. aid program as it had been implemented by Kennedy and Eisenhower. Johnson was concerned that if he did not maintain the same level of foreign aid that JFK had, the change would be misinterpreted by most countries who did not realize that this was a domestic political squabble.
President Nixon and Kissinger were under attack for the wiretapping of some of his own staff:
Karzai was totally corrupt and what was worse maintained his political power by allowing local Governors, mayors, warlords, police and judges to extort bribes for virtually all public services and in many cases extorting money from successful businessmen as well as even poor and middle class families. A large proportion of the money that America and its coalition allies were spending for economic development in Afghanistan was being siphoned out of the country by corrupt officials of the government. Karzai then was the beneficiary of the support of all these corrupt officials in rigging his reelection in what became an embarrassing farce for the coalition. There were others in the administration who believed that there might be enough persuasion to produce change in Karzai, and America and the Coalition had no other better option. Eikenberry not only predicted that there would be no change in the corruption levels, but that the average Afghan people would never really support and fight for the government which proved everyday to anyone who would look that the officials of the country were corrupt and had the support and green light from the President.
