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Brain -> Taliban funded by US taxes (6/23/2010 6:05:59 PM)
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I guess you have money t o piss away.
The fight for hearts and minds in the global struggle against terrorism may not yet be over, but the Supreme Court has thrust a white flag into the hands of one faction in that effort. It is now illegal to try to win our "enemies" over with appeals to reason, humanity or self-preservation. Apparently, the only way to legally engage designated terrorist organizations is to kill them--anything else may be "material support," and land you in prison.
The Supreme Court's June 21 decision in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project held conflict mediation, human rights training and peace-building efforts aimed at turning terrorist groups away from violence can be criminalized, punishable by 15+ years in prison and seizure of assets. These are some of the activities that could be characterized as "knowingly provid[ing] material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization," a vaguely worded catch-all provision of the anti-terrorism laws passed in the wake of 9/11.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kay-guinane/the-supreme-court-working_b_620943.html
Taliban funded by US taxes
The US military has been giving tens of millions of American taxpayer dollars to warlords in Afghanistan, through logistics firms in the war-torn country.
Investigators say as much as $4 million per week end up in the hands of the Taliban via local security companies in return for not attacking convoys carrying supplies to American troops based across Afghanistan.
The money allegedly ensures a safe passage for the Pentagon transport contractors in dangerous Afghan regions.
If the mafia-style protection payments are not made, the trucks responsible for transporting food, water, fuel and ammunition will allegedly come under attack.
The report carried out by the House Subcommittee for National Security further adds that armed groups are not the only beneficiaries of the hefty sum.
Bribes and kickbacks are reportedly paid to nearly every Afghan governor, police chief and local military commander unit whose territory the convoys pass through.
These agreements, made by security companies hired under the Host Nation Trucking contract, violate laws on the use of private contractors, as well as US Department of Defense regulations, the document said.
One of these security companies in question is allegedly owned by relatives of the Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=131480§ionid=351020403
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