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'Afghan Forest Camo' Media Leak Hints at Battle for Government Funds in the US

© AP Photo / Rahmat GulNew members of the Afghanistan's National Army march during their graduation ceremony at the Afghan Military Academy in Kabul, Afghanistan (File)
New members of the Afghanistan's National Army march during their graduation ceremony at the Afghan Military Academy in Kabul, Afghanistan (File) - Sputnik International
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It appears that the latest media revelations about the Pentagon wasting millions of taxpayers’ dollars on impractical uniforms for Afghan security forces may actually echo a struggle for government funding in the US.

In this Mar. 15, 2016 file photo, Afghanistan's National Army soldiers stand guard, following weeks of heavy clashes to recapture the area from Taliban militants in Dand-e Ghouri district in Baghlan province, north of Kabul, Afghanistan - Sputnik International
Money for Nothing: Why US Defense Spending Raises Eyebrows
Earlier this week Newsweek revealed that the Pentagon had decided to spend some $94 million on woodland camo uniforms for Afghan security forces despite the fact that forests cover only 2 percent of Afghanistan’s territory.

The magazine pointed out that, according to the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, "the Department of Defense's decision to procure ANA uniforms using a proprietary camouflage pattern was not based on an evaluation of its appropriateness for the Afghan environment."

Russian analyst Vitaly Zhuravlev told Sputnik Radio that this incident shows how inefficient the US military spending is, as the Pentagon callously wastes exorbitant sums on questionable projects.

"Bureaucracy’s ability to spend money becomes suspect due to the fact that there are no market economy mechanisms involved. Basically, a certain sum of money is provided and needs to be spent. And the more money gets spent and the more requests for various weapon programs gets submitted, the greater the probability is that this particular agency will receive this funding," he said.

The analyst also remarked that the media leak about the forest camo for Afghanistan might’ve been orchestrated by other US agencies that compete with the Pentagon for government funding.

"As you know, President Donald Trump slashed the US Department of State’s spending by quarter. There were also other cuts. Therefore, there are people who aren’t happy about it: elite groups, corporations, lobbyists and officials. And as the Pentagon’s rivals, they will obviously use such opportunities to solve their own problems. So, they leak information that exposes the Pentagon officials’ inefficiency, using it to further their own interests and to justify spending in other areas," Zhuravlev said.

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