The road to Hell is paved with good intentions-- and its frequently empty. The International Herald Tribune reports that the European Unions man in Afghanistan, former German commando Brigadier General Eichele, has given up trying to beef-up the national police force and quit the theater. Seems bureacracy and corruption left him stuck at base, when the EU executive delayed approving a budget for 70 armored cars, computers and office equipment." "We cannot travel outside Kabul because the armored-plated cars have not arrived," an EU diplomat based in Kabul told the Trib. The [theoretical] vehicles originally cost €110k a pop, but increased to €170k when security specifications changed. The commission went back to drawing up a new budget, issuing new tenders, etc. And then theres a turf war between the EU and NATO...
12-09-2007 18:21:54 | The Truth About Cars