While the US grapples with corruption in Afghanistan, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates says international donors must do more to ensure their aid goes to the right people. He is spitting in the wind. The right people always turn out to be the first at the cash box and that always turns out to be the country’s leadership.

Afghanistan is a deepening pit. It won’t be easy to climb out and no one will want us to leave as long as we’re standing on a large pile of cash we call aid. NGOs can’t safely operate in Afghanistan so the money has to go to the government. It’s the wrong pocket, but it’s the only pocket available. Given that, maybe it’s time to close the cash box and go home. We can leave misery in our wake today or we can spend more billions and lose more lives and leave misery in our wake tomorrow. Not much of choice but that’s probably all that’s on the table; all that’s ever been on the table.

Close the cash box, go home. Let the beast starve.