Aid and honesty

The reconstruction of Afghanistan will be a costly endeavor for the international community The World Bank estimates at least US$15 billion over the next decade. It is money that will be gladly given in the name of righting a country so wronged and ignored during its years under foreign occupation or in the grip of civil war.

But although they are pledging generosity, potential donors such as the U.S. and Japan must also be wary. There are enough instances worldwide where massive foreign assistance has ended up in the pockets of corrupt officials.

The proof on the ground is already evident. Humanitarian organizations trying to feed and clothe the country's displaced, hungry and sick are experiencing worrying levels of corruption, similar to the pre-Taliban days of warlord factionalism in the early 1990s. Aid workers transporting urgently needed supplies are being asked to pay or hand over a share of their cargoes to use roads.

Sometimes they are robbed or forced to turn back due to lack of security. Some aid agencies have simply given up, refusing to begin work in Afghanistan until there is security for their workers and guarantees that their donated supplies are safe.

It was much different under the Taliban, which despite its fundamentalist views at least guaranteed safety and were seemingly freer of corruption than the warlords they ousted. These elements have re-emerged in the power vacuum that is becoming evident in some parts of Afghanistan and the interim cabinet must turn its attention to the issue.

Without a wholly transparent, secure environment, there can be no assurances for Afghanistan's future. It needs international help to survive and thrive, but the world community must also be assured that a corruption-free system is in place.

-- South China Morning Post, Hong Kong