Skimming in the quagmire

Wikileaks via Der Spiegel:

"In 2009, the German government transferred €50 million ($66.14 million) to the Afghan Army National Trust Fund. The money from Germany was intended to "improve the operational capabilities and development of the ANA (Afghan National Army)," according to the publicity materials from the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces."

Germany specified the projects the donation should be used for, including schools and barracks for the ANA.

Months later, "a sharply worded demarche from Germany's then-ambassador to NATO in Brussels" pointed out that : "As of today, no project financing has occurred."

The Germans were also extremely pissed to discover that "the US Army Corps of Engineers wanted to charge an "administrative fee" of 15 percent for the disbursement of the funds." That's a fee of nearly $10-million US.

Nothing we can do about it, said Washington : "The administration of trust funds is conducted under American budgetary law."
However in "a gesture of goodwill: The Americans wired €3 million back to the Bundeswehr."

I'm sure the German public will be just fine with donating the remaining $6-million US "fee".