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The Pillars of Afghanistan’s Economy: Drugs and bribes

There is an element of ho-hum with regard to the news about Afghanistan. Obama has committed more military, there are some issues about the Karzai Government reported from time to time, but otherwise things seem to plugging along in the war torn country. Obviously news like that related to the Haiti earthwork ensures that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and military actions in Pakistan and Yemen are relegated to the back of the news, if reported at all.

Ken Silverstein, writing in Harper's Magazine, reports on what a UN Report has thrown up:

"Poverty and violence are usually portrayed as the biggest challenges confronting Afghanistan. But ask the Afghans themselves, and you get a different answer: corruption is their biggest worry. As revealed in this new UNODC report, for an overwhelming 59% of the population the daily experience of public dishonesty is a bigger concern than insecurity (54%) and unemployment (52%).

The report says that bribery and drugs generate nearly $5 billion in revenues per year combined, making them the country’s two leading economic forces.

Oh, but there’s good news too: the report says President Karzai has “recognized that corruption is destroying the economy.” So presumably we can expect fast action from him on this soon."

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