MAQzine

Why Isn't the World Donating More to Pakistan? Max Fisher Wed Aug 18, 7:26 am ET WASHINGTON, DC – The United Nations has   warned   that the biggest challenge in the ongoing relief efforts for the   millions displaced by flooding   in Pakistan is the lack of money and supplies. Over a million Pakistanis lack even a tent to sleep in, and as many as 13.8 million have no access to clean drinking water, threatening outbreaks of serious diseases such as cholera, particularly among children. In the wake of the   earthquake in Haiti , agencies and individuals around the world were far more generous, donating $1 billion USD within days. Why has the world been so much more sparing with Pakistan ? ·                                  'Paltry and Pathetic Response'    Former U.S. Ambassa...

by Fouad Pervez Blackwater (rebranded as Xe in an effort to escape the negative publicity associated with their former name), recently received  a $100 million contract  from the CIA to secure its bases in Afghanistan . The State Department also awarded them $120 million to provide security for new diplomatic buildings, including consulates outside Kabul , giving the firm a total of $220 million in new contracts in Afghanistan . This seems remarkable, given the extremely negative image Blackwater has throughout the world. That people even know about a private security company is a bad sign in itself. Not surprisingly, CIA Director Leon Panetta had to go on the offensive to defend the contracts. The contracts are certainly problematic. But the real issue is not Blackwater itself, but U.S. military grand strategy. From a financial aspect, it is not surprising that Blackwater got the contracts. For the CIA contract alone, Blackwater bid a full $26 million below the next lowest...