Corruption Feeds Insurgencies

One of the well-known aspects of the Afghan conflict is that corruption is the number one issue that feeds support and recruits to the insurgency. However, ISAF and the United States has been slow to reduce the corruption; instead, concentrating on military solutions combined with generous amounts of foreign aid for governance and development. However, a good portion of that foreign aid is siphoned off by government, police, and military leaders and officials - thereby reducing the effect of all that aid money. In addition, the excess of aid money without adequate oversight and controls, further fuels the corruption. Read an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times by Doyle McManus entitled "How the U.S. can fight corruption abroad: start by collecting intelligence" (December 1, 2014).