Karzai's Slush Fund Drains Philadelphia School Budget

Dear Mr. President,

Kill List Tuesday again. Also the day when we officially turn over security responsibility for all of Afghanistan to the Afghans—from now on, they operate without American air support, medevac helicopters and partnered combat units (today’s NYT, p. A6, “Afghan Forces Struggle as U.S. Weans Them Off Support”). The article describes the toll on 2 Afghan soldiers grievously wounded in a battle with the Taliban; one lost both legs and an arm, the other both legs and an eye. No medevacs for them. “Tough love” the military calls it. Tough luck is more accurate. The annual attrition rate in the Afghan army due to low re-enlistment, desertion and casualties was 33% last year; they no longer report that figure since it’s “bad for morale.” Right next to that article is another, “Top Senator On Panel Blocks Aid to Afghanistan,” which reports that Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) is refusing to release $75 million to help organize elections in Afghanistan until he’s assured that “the bags of cash being delivered to Mr. Karzai by the CIA [are] not fueling the corruption that pervades the Afghan government.” Corker says he’s written 4 letters to you and received no response. A spokeswoman, Caitlin Hayden, however, says the White House has been “in close touch with Senator Corker’s staff since he first demanded an explanation in early May…and they look forward to continuing to work with him…” Regardless of who’s telling the truth, the CIA is still delivering bags of cash to Karzai to pay off “warlords, politicians, lawmakers and other powerful Afghans…some of whom have ties to the Taliban… [or] are involved in opium trafficking,” Meanwhile, in yesterday’s Times, a front page article reports on the dire plight of Philadelphia schools which had to cut “19% of the school-based work force, including all 127 assistant principals, 646 teachers and more than 1,200 aides.” Next year there will be no money for books, paper, school nurses, counselors, librarians, sports or bands. Our priorities are seriously screwed up, Mr. President. The CIA delivers bags of cash to Karzai to pay off Afghan drug lords and war lords while we starve our school budgets so kids don’t have books? What is wrong with this picture? And how ironic that just an hour ago, I received an email from the White House listing all the great things your administration has done and is doing to promote higher education. The truth is, billions for war, nothing for education. We are destroying our own future.