FCPAméricas Blog
Our Military’s Role in the Battle against Corruption
5.28.2012
On this Memorial Day, as we take time to honor the service of our brave soldiers, it is fitting on a blog like this to reflect on ways their work is relevant to the anti-corruption agenda.
In places like Afghanistan and countries experiencing the Arab Spring, corruption has served as a direct source of instability and insecurity. After conflict arises, the resulting conditions can lead to even more corruption. Corruption can further be exacerbated when vast amounts of resources, without adequate oversight, are directed to a country to help address conflict. These cycles can be vicious ones.
But the integrity with which our forces perform their jobs serves to counter these threats. This integrity was well-established by our World War II veterans. It is seen currently in our military’s explicit prioritization of anti-corruption efforts in its work.
For example, in Afghanistan, promoting anti-corruption measures has become a central component of our military strategy. Just yesterday the New York Times reported on how corruption continues to be a primary source of instability there. But our forces are actively taking steps to focus on where money is going, what effects it is having, and whether the people with whom we choose to work are acting in the interests of the Afghan state and its population.
It is now standard for U.S. Commanders in Afghanistan to issue anti-corruption directives to all of our forces. The guidance from U.S. Army Commander Stanley McChrystal stated: “Our first priority in this counterinsurgency is to succeed is protecting the Afghan people. That means not only protecting them from insurgent violence . . . , but also from the harm that comes through the corruption of government officials we are seen to be partnering with.”
That memorandum explains the effects that corruption has on the mission: “Corruption directly fuels the insurgency and cannot be ignored. It angers the Afghan people and turns them against their government. We are seen as part of the problem when we appear to support the wrong officials or seem to condone bad behavior, and Afghan anger is then directed at [the U.S military]. The Afghan people are anxious to see this problem addressed and small steps, if visible and credible, can have a positive impact.”
What does corruption look like in Afghanistan? The memo explains: “When the police extort a few hundred Afghanis from passing trucks, that is corruption. When customs agents accept a bribe to record cargo as scrap metal when it is really perfume and charge a lower rate, that is corruption. When officials channel development projects to a construction company, and that company sells the contracts without doing any work, that is corruption. When an official wrongfully detains someone to get money for his release, or lets a criminal go for a bribe, that is corruption. When an administrator uses his position to snap up arable land in violation of traditional land-use rules, that is corruption.”
What are forces directed to do to address these threats? They should be alert to corruption, discuss it with local partners, and understand it when it arises. They should integrate questions on corruption into their interrogation of detainees. They should gather evidence and keep lists of the most corrupt actors in the regions where they work. They should “set an example in all you do and say. Show your partners what honest and fair behavior looks like and remember that you are the standard against which others are judged.”
The military is employing other tools as well. To decrease the potential for misuse of funds, they are setting up direct payments to local Afghan forces through electronic transfer rather than through their local supervisors. They are placing tight controls on the supply chain and storage of military and other equipment in logistics warehouses to prevent losses.
When addressing a group of Afghan university students in November 2010 about confronting corruption in their country, U.S. Brigadier General H.R. McMaster acknowledged that the goal is daunting. But he cited Colombia as an example of a success in rebuilding a country after years of war while contending with challenges of corruption, organized crime, and insecurity:
It was only in recent years, for example, that Colombia’s leaders, working in close coordination with the United States, were able to halt the violence perpetrated throughout the country by insurgents, narcotics-traffickers, and paramilitary groups, which had for decades paralyzed Colombia’s politics, corroded its judicial institutions, and left its population victimized. Decisive, visionary leadership, as well as the sustained partnership of the United States and others in the international community, were essential to Colombia’s ability to make tremendous progress in overcoming what had long been perceived as an intractable and irreversible challenge.
Yes. There are many reasons to be grateful for our military’s service.
The FCPAméricas blog is not intended to provide legal advice to its readers. The blog entries and posts include only the thoughts, ideas, and impressions of its authors and contributors, and should be considered general information only about the Americas, anti-corruption laws including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, issues related to anti-corruption compliance, and any other matters addressed. Nothing in this publication should be interpreted to constitute legal advice or services of any kind. Furthermore, information found on this blog should not be used as the basis for decisions or actions that may affect your business; instead, companies and businesspeople should seek legal counsel from qualified lawyers regarding anti-corruption laws or any other legal issue. The Editor and the contributors to this blog shall not be responsible for any losses incurred by a reader or a company as a result of information provided in this publication. For more information, please contact Info@MattesonEllisLaw.com.
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© 2012 Matteson Ellis Law, PLLC
Post authored by Matteson Ellis, FCPAméricas Founder & Editor
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May 30th, 2012 at 12:16 am
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June 9th, 2013 at 9:02 am
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