Either there are Greeks in hiding, concealed by the wood,
or it’s been built as a machine to use against our walls,
or spy on our homes, or fall on the city from above,
or it hides some other trick: Trojans, don’t trust this horse.
Whatever it is, I’m afraid of Greeks even those bearing gifts.
-Virgil, Aeneid; Book II
In a report dated July 30, 2013, Special Inspector General John Sopko gave a detailed review of progress being made in Afghanistan. The 236 page report contains some interesting information. Page 66, for example,
A continuing problem is the Army’s refusal to act on SIGAR’s recommendations to suspend or debar individuals who are supporters of the insurgency, including the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, and al-Qaeda. The Army suspension and debarment official has taken the position that suspension or debarment of such individuals and entities would be a violation of their due process rights if based on classified information or if based on findings by the Department of Commerce which placed them on the Entities List. SIGAR has referred 43 such cases to the Army, and all have been rejected, despite detailed supporting information demonstrating that these individuals and entities are providing material support to the insurgency in Afghanistan. In other words, they may be enemies of the United States, but that is not enough to keep them from getting government contracts.
With all due respect; what the hell? It stands to reason there will be fraud. The country is essentially run by crooks, populated by terrorists, and their main export just happens to be the main ingredient in a highly addictive drug. (Huh. Afghanistan sounds like Mexico without the all-inclusive resorts). What boggles the mind is why the Army (i.e. OUR government), once made aware, wouldn’t stop funneling money to the people that want to kill us. Even more mind boggling is the excuse it would be a “violation of their due process rights.”
I seem to remember Eric Holder mentioning due process in reference to drone attacks in the same area of the world. It went something like, “Due process and judicial process are not one and the same, particularly when it comes to national security. The Constitution guarantees due process; it does not guarantee judicial process.”
