EU's Top Cop Quits Afghanistan Over Armored Car Snafu
The International Herald Tribune reports that the European Union's man in Afghanistan, former German commando Brigadier General Eichele, has given up trying to beef-up the national police force, and quit the theater. Seems bureacracy and corruption left him stuck at base; the EU executive delayed approving a budget for 70 armored cars, computers and office equipment. "We cannot travel outside Kabul because the armored-plated cars have not arrived," an EU diplomat told the Trib. The [theoretical] vehicles originally cost €110k a pop, but increased to €170k when security specifications changed. The commission went back to drawing up a new budget, issuing new tenders, etc. And then there's a turf war between the EU and NATO…
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'The commission went back to drawing up a new budget, issuing new tenders, etc' Nice, dick around, its not like any lives depend on a swift desicion.
Poor German general, things were so much more ... efficient ... when grandpa was in the Gestapo.
Are you kidding? The Gestapo? Your history is lacking. WWII Germany made all sorts of idiotic central management procurement mistakes. Thank God that they did.