Some discouraging news in Stars and Stripes quoting from a quarterly report by SIGAR, Afghan Air Force pilot training program in US ends after nearly half go AWOL:
More than 40 percent of the Afghan pilots sent to train on the AC-208 Combat Caravan lightweight reconnaissance aircraft went absent without leave while in the United States, according to a quarterly report of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR. The report, which was released Tuesday, did not detail precisely how many Afghan pilots deserted the training program, which has been conducted at the Fort Worth Meacham Airport in Texas.
-- snip --
As of February, the United States has spent about $8.4 billion to support and develop the Afghan Air Force, including providing 170 aircraft, according to SIGAR. To date, the Afghan Air Force has 119 fully qualified pilots and dozens more in training.
So, $8.4 billion in U.S. taxpayer's money divided by 119, equals ... the approximate pace of reconstruction in Afghanistan.
4 comments:
TSB: Bitcoin Soars Above $7,000 As Crypto Comeback Continues Bitcoin, Gold, Silver, Yuan and Ruble are the "anti-petro dollar forces in the world. The dollar may have peaked this past week. US sanctions are being challenge around the globe and China may find itself with the #1 world currency sooner than later. They have increased 2018 record gold purchases by 38% this year.
The "Trade War" could soon lead to some really high prices for certain basic commodities like fuel and "unnecessary plastic items". gwb
TSB: Pace Pompeo: What if the US is “Sowing Chaos” in Mideast & Iran is a Status Quo Power?
Juan Cole
05/12/2019 Great summary of US foreign policy in ME starting with George "W"
and up to the present time from the perspective of a historian. Of course the same geniuses have this past week welcomed Brazil as NATO preferred partner and Zelenski will be meeting the DOD next week about bringing US Special forces to bear in the overthrow of that corrupt, evil socialist dictator Maduro. Should be another interesting week for the "Captains of Chaos". gwb
TSB: Looks like Nigel Farage will be the winner in the EU parliamentary elections! New data published by the Observer newspaper (the Guardian’s Sunday, sister paper) reveals the Brexit Party polling at 34 per cent of the vote. Up another six points in the past week.
Meanwhile, Labour come in second with 21 per cent of the vote (down seven), and the Conservative Party trail in fourth – behind the Liberal Democrats (12) – with just 11 per cent of the vote. This, if realized, would be the Conservative Party’s worst ever performance in an election in modern history.
So we could see Teresa May go away to stay and a "no deal" Brexit pretty fast.
gwb
If Farage wins, it will be the latest occasion for the losing side in an election to proclaim that democracy is in crisis. That's happening all over lately.
But this might be the year Bitcoin takes off? I'll have to reconsider my retirement portfolio.
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