US enemies siphon off $360m of aid payments

THE US military estimates $360 million in US tax dollars (€250m) has ended up in the hands of people the American-led coalition has spent nearly a decade battling — the Taliban, criminals and power brokers.

The losses underscore the challenges the US and its international partners face in overcoming corruption in Afghanistan.

A central part of the Obama administration’s strategy has been to award US-financed contracts to Afghan businesses to help improve quality of life and boost the country’s economy. But until a special task force assembled by General David Petraeus began its probe last year, the coalition had little insight into the connections many Afghan companies and their vast network of subcontractors had with insurgents and criminals.