Kucinich: "We are losing our nation to lies about the necessity of war" (broadcast June 28, 2010)

Billions of American tax dollars are going missing in Afghanistan and funding Afghan Warlords, corruption is rife. It is so abundant, in fact, that a senior US lawmaker declared on Monday that she'd be freezing $3.9 billion in Afghan aid dollars until the situation is addressed.

Rep. Nita Lowey's declaration of principle was made in response to a Wall Street Journal report that claimed over $3 billion has been legally shipped through the airport in Kabul over just the last three years, leading investigators to believe much of it comes from U.S. aid dollars being diverted by corrupt officials.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, making a speech to the House of Representatives on Monday, had a few choice words to describe the situation.

"We are losing our nation to lies about the necessity of war," the iconoclastic Democrat opined.

The Journal reported that "the cash -- packed into suitcases, piled into pallets and loaded into airplanes -- is declared and legal to move" through the airport. The paper added: "The officials believe [...] customers who have sent millions of dollars of their money abroad include high-ranking officials and their associates in President Hamid Karzai's administration, including Vice President Mohammed Fahim, and one of the president's brothers, Mahmood Karzai, an influential businessman.
"Where they allegedly get the money is one of the questions under investigation."

Speaking before Congress, Kucinich raised the specter of the $12 billion shipped in pallets from the United States to Iraq just after the Bush administration's "shock and awe" bombing campaign.

"Vanity Fair reported in 2004 that 'at least $9 billion' of the cash had 'gone missing, unaccounted for,'" he noted. "$9 billion."

Kucinich continued: "

Last week, the BBC reported that 'the US military has been giving tens of millions of dollars to Afghan security firms who are funneling the money to warlords.' Add to that a corrupt Afghan government underwritten by the lives of our troops
 ... And now reports indicate that Congress is preparing to attach $10 billion in state education funding to a $33 billion spending bill to keep the war going.

 Back home, millions of Americans are out of work, losing their homes, losing their savings, their pensions and their retirement security.

"We are losing our nation to lies about the necessity of war. Bring our troops home. End the war. Secure our economy."

It's not the first time Kucinich has lambasted aid funding to Afghanistan. The Congressman declared in a 2009 press release: "U.S. contractors are paying U.S. tax dollars to the Taliban in order to protect the delivery of U.S. shipments of U.S. goods to U.S. soldiers so that our soldiers can fight the Taliban."

Also, in June 2010, responding to a New York Times story, the Ohio Democrat pondered rhetorically, "Is the U.S. paying for attacks on U.S. troops?"

"Our troops are dying in Afghanistan, and now it turns out we may be funding their killers," Kucinich said in a statement e-mailed to Raw Story, renewing his longstanding call for a pullout. "Our continued presence in Afghanistan is detrimental to our security."

At the time, he vowed to bring the report to the "personal attention" of his colleagues in Congress involved with approving aid dollars for Afghanistan.

"The American people are paying to prop up a corrupt government that may be using our money to pay private companies to drum up business by paying the insurgents to attack our troops," he said.

This video is from C-Span, broadcast June 28, 2010.

Reuploaded from DJKucinich channel-
http://www.youtube.com/user/DJKucinich

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[jethrofortruth]

When one hears that type of information, you realize how insane this world and the American empire has become. It is utter insanity and most just do not give a shit. So Sad.

[notovertheedge]

this guy has balls for putting his neck on the line like this. we are still in afghanistan so that leads me to believe that both the dems & repubs are in support of this waste.

our economy stinks we need to reinvest in opportunities/jobs here, not waste that $ on an endless war. i wonder the real motives of being there. it almost seems like war is an entitlement program for military & contractors.

end corporate welfare programs, no bail outs & penalize those who send jobs abroad.

[mikehh084]

This guy talks so much sense .

[toohnooch]

@jethrofortruth george bush looked so damn serious and confident 2001

[Prancer1231]

Kucinich for president.

[Wassouf10]

Americans need to stand up, they are a rich nation, no one should experience poverty in the land of america. STOP ZIONISM NOW!

[starmanskye]

@TheProgressistViewer -- What does something like 'left' even mean anymore when ALL opposition, alternative, different perspectives are lumped-together, labeled and defined by the dominant rightwing corporate-controlled status-quo elites thru their media conglomerates, PR firms, opinion-shapers, commentators, think-tanks, lobbyists and technocrat shills & political operatives? 'Liberal media' is an outright fraud-scam used by the dominant right to increasingly polarize debate & absorb moderates.

[a2dli]

I love the look of disgust at the end..

[n8tivguitar]

does anyone see the simularty in the tea party and nsdap? there political beginnings.

i know it's off topic, just can't reason with the death panel folks

[TheProgressistViewer]

@misticspear There is such a thing as the left, I happen to be on the right. There is nothing wrong with saying that even tough we stand on opposite sides of the spectrum, I respect his integrity and honesty.

[PixelPlox]

Kucinich for pres