Company with Taliban ties gets taxpayer dollars
The Washington Times reports that although the Department of Commerce has determined that the Zurmat Group, an Afghan contracting company, has ties to the Taliban and has helped them build IEDs for use against US troops, the US continues to use them in construction projects. Most recently, they were used as a subcontractor on a courthouse project inside Bagram Air Base;
[inspector general, John] Sopko is seeking to ban 43 foreign individuals and companies identified as supporting insurgents in Afghanistan, but he said the U.S. Army has rejected all of these requests out of concern that such action would violate their rights under the U.S. Constitution.
“Based on the evidence available in these cases, the Army’s position is legally dubious, contrary to good public policy and contrary to our security goals in Afghanistan. I urge you to address this flawed approach to protecting U.S. taxpayer,” Mr. Sopko said in his letter [to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel].
Since when do Afghans have rights under the US Constitution in their own country? I’m sure those same contractors consider the rights of American troops when they’re helping the Taliban, it only stands to reason. And since these same contractors are inspecting jails and prisons, I’m sure that’s not the reason there have been so many successful jailbreaks in Afghanistan recently.
Why are we still there?
Category: Terror War
I choked when I read the part of the Company being protected by the US Constitution… since when in the name of all things Holy has the US Constitution applied to foreign nationals living and working in their own damned country?
Someone needs to go back and study US Government 101.
Strange stuff, indeed. The one scenario I can conjure is that someone in the Army googled “foreign corporations” or some such thing and thought that foreign meant other than American, as opposed to out-of-state. Bizarre.
This really pissed me off. Afghans, in their own country, do not rate the protections offered under our Constitution. And the IG thinks the Army’s position is legally dubious?? Uh, ya fucking think?? Where did the Army lawyers go to law school?? How in the fuck did they reach the conclusion that these Afghan fucks rate protection under U.S. law?? Why is no one stomping out Private Pyles guts??
If Zurmat is providing the Army with intelligence into terrorist activities, and that’s why the Army is protecting that “contract” — then this story makes sense; otherwise, it makes no sense at all.
We’re still there because the same fuzzy-headed type of people that worry about foreigners’ Constitutional rights are the same people deciding whether we stay or go. Anyone sane or logical would have pulled the plug years ago.
Um……..WTF!?!?
That’s all I got
Perhaps the Army needs to put some training on the Constitution in place. After all, there are promotion and enlistment oaths where individuals swear to defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Reading it should at least be an annual requirement.
@7 it should have at least the same level of importance as Powerpoint presentations on VD or Sexual Harassment.
“Perhaps the Army needs to put some training on the Constitution in place.” Now THAT is a damn good idea. It really is.
Just proves that there can be TOO much edumacation.
Damned Army orificers. Double damned Army LAWYER orificers
Don’t tell Phildo…
You should see the giant drainage ditches they dug along the airfield near the Warrior side. Five feet deep, lined with chunks of stone, and then mortared together. Granted they don’t DRAIN ANYWHERE and during the last few weeks when it rains it is hilarious to see free standing pools of water everywhere but in them, but it’s nice to know tax money is spent well.
What a bag of d**ks this whole fiasco is.
Indeed, what ARE we still doing in that dung hole.
Constitutional protections!!?? Sounds like some über liberal JAG puke talking in full on smoke blowing mode.
What are we doing, hell they are still putting up hangars and buildings around here. You should see some of the construction they have going on around Bagram.