REPORT ON U.S. KABUL EMBASSY

"The State Department is failing to properly oversee nearly $2 billion in contracts to battle the drug trade, build infrastructure and train police in Afghanistan... Other key criticisms:
• Frequent visits by senior officials and members of Congress divert diplomats from crucial counterinsurgency tasks.
• The embassy doesn't have enough people to carry out anti-corruption and outreach initiatives.
• No one on the public affairs and website staff speaks Pashto, the language of the areas being contested in the counterinsurgency..."
>http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-03-09-embassy_N.htm?csp=usat.me


"... the U.S. Embassy staff in Afghanistan suffers from morale problems, overwork and the constant demands of visiting VIPs, which the report calls "war tourism"... Morale at Embassy Kabul has been challenged by the stresses of an almost 100 percent personnel turnover, a massive civilian buildup at a frenetic pace, the redesign of development assistance programs, the continuing high volume of official visitors, and the need to support an extended presidential strategy review... the ambassador and top aides often must work through the night on video conferences with Washington...
"Some describe the incredible volume of visitors from all branches of the federal and even state governments as 'war tourism"... As of October 1, 2009, the embassy had supported approximately 100 groups of visitors, totaling over 700 individuals, and accounting for over 30,000 bed nights..."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/03/05/afghanistan.embassy.morale/index.html