Mistakes Happen: USAID Aids Terrorists

Each year, USAID, an American government agency, hands out billions of dollars. The money is supposed to be used for

• Humanitarian aid
• Disaster relief
• Pro-democracy programs

USAID is definitely not supposed to give money to

• Terrorists

But a report, "Audit of the Adequacy of USAID's Antiterrorism Vetting Procedures," dated November 6, says that "policies, procedures, and controls are not adequate to reasonably ensure against providing assistance to terrorists."

In other words, American tax dollars are probably going to terrorists as I'm writing this.

If true, this is dumb, really dumb.

For example, "Palestinian police found several Iranian agents and an Iranian general teaching the students in the U.S.-funded chemistry lab how to make suicide bombs." The punch line is that the Iranian agents and general were using the basement of Gaza Islamic University, one of the institutions that my taxes have been supporting.

Again: dumb, really, really dumb.

I hope that USAID gets its act together.

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Now, a minor item: I scrambled my schedule today, and don't have the post I was preparing ready. Eventually, I'll get that done.

Happily, my foul-ups don't have very serious consequences. Except, occasionally, to me and my family.