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HARSH LIFE FOR AFGHAN COAL MINERS</h2> </div> <object id="player_swf" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="495" height="411" codebase="https://web.archive.org/web/20130309170043oe_/http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab"><param name="movie" value="http://cdn-akm.vmixcore.com/core-flash/UnifiedVideoPlayer/UnifiedVideoPlayer.swf?player_id=75a7753b5f23df9c00514cdb0daa934f"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="flashVars" value="player_id=75a7753b5f23df9c00514cdb0daa934f&services_url=http://cdn-akm.vmixcore.com/core-flash/UnifiedVideoPlayer/services.xml&env=&token=0a94938601688c8085d96fb81d1d9178"></param> <embed name="player_swf" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130309170043oe_/http://cdn-akm.vmixcore.com/core-flash/UnifiedVideoPlayer/UnifiedVideoPlayer.swf?player_id=75a7753b5f23df9c00514cdb0daa934f" width="495" height="411" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="player_id=75a7753b5f23df9c00514cdb0daa934f&services_url=http://cdn-akm.vmixcore.com/core-flash/UnifiedVideoPlayer/services.xml&env=&token=0a94938601688c8085d96fb81d1d9178" swliveconnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object> <p>McClatchy's Jonathan S. Landay traveled to a coal mine that symbolizes the corruption, nepotism and mismanagement that pervade President Hamid Karzai's government.</p> </div><!-- End: /pubsys/production/shared/html_module.comp --> <!-- Start: /pubsys/production/shared/html_module.comp --> <div id="olympicPromo03"> <div id="recent_stories" class="box_2"> <h2>VIDEO: THE ROCKY ROAD TO BADAKHSHAN, AFGHANISTAN</h2> </div> <object id="player_swf" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="495" height="411" codebase="https://web.archive.org/web/20130309170043oe_/http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab"><param name="movie" value="http://cdn-akm.vmixcore.com/core-flash/UnifiedVideoPlayer/UnifiedVideoPlayer.swf?player_id=75a7753b5f23df9c00514cdb0daa934f"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="flashVars" value="player_id=75a7753b5f23df9c00514cdb0daa934f&services_url=http://cdn-akm.vmixcore.com/core-flash/UnifiedVideoPlayer/services.xml&env=&token=3ccf5ea808dfc5897fbda0baef3a761c"></param> <embed name="player_swf" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130309170043oe_/http://cdn-akm.vmixcore.com/core-flash/UnifiedVideoPlayer/UnifiedVideoPlayer.swf?player_id=75a7753b5f23df9c00514cdb0daa934f" width="495" height="411" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="player_id=75a7753b5f23df9c00514cdb0daa934f&services_url=http://cdn-akm.vmixcore.com/core-flash/UnifiedVideoPlayer/services.xml&env=&token=3ccf5ea808dfc5897fbda0baef3a761c" swliveconnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object> <p>McClatchy's Dion Nissenbaum speaks about the difficulty of getting around Afghanistan while on assignment to Badkhshan.</p> </div><!-- End: /pubsys/production/shared/html_module.comp --> <!-- Start: /pubsys/production/shared/html_module.comp --> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130309170043im_/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/static/images/afghancontracts/20101110-usafghan-495.jpg" border="0"><!-- End: /pubsys/production/shared/html_module.comp --> </div> <div id="col_2"> <div class="box_4 float_container" id="recent_headlines"> <div class="rss_btn"> <a href="/web/20130309170043/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/408/index.rss"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130309170043im_/http://media.mcclatchydc.com/static/images/icons_small.gif" alt="rss"/></a> </div> <h2>Latest Headlines</h2> <h1 class="recent_headlines_new"><a href="/web/20130309170043/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/01/12/106681/troubled-us-afghan-projects-mushroom.html">U.S. keeps funneling money to troubled Afghan projects</a></h1> <p class="story_summary">McClatchy found that U.S. government funding for at least 15 large-scale programs and projects grew from just over $1 billion to nearly $3 billion despite the government's questions about their effectiveness or cost. Welcome to Afghan aid, American-style. <a href="/web/20130309170043/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/01/12/106681/troubled-us-afghan-projects-mushroom.html">» read more</a></p> <div class="front_story_assets"> <ul> <li>· <a href="/web/20130309170043/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/01/12/106695/program-to-modernize-afghan-justice.html">Program to modernize Afghan justice system yields little so far</a></li> <li>· <a href="/web/20130309170043/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/11/14/103382/flawed-projects-prove-costly-for.html">Flawed projects prove costly for Afghanistan, U.S.</a></li> <li>· <a href="/web/20130309170043/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/11/14/103393/afghan-business-model-connections.html">Factory, coal mine show connections matter most in Afghan business</a></li> <li>· <a href="/web/20130309170043/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/01/04/106187/stung-by-senate-criticism-auditor.html">Stung by Senate criticism, auditor of Afghan spending sacks aides</a></li> <li>· <a href="/web/20130309170043/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/01/05/106251/military-bans-2-us-firms-from.html">Military bans 2 U.S. firms from Afghan contracting</a></li> <li>· <a href="/web/20130309170043/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/01/10/106525/us-watchdog-for-afghanistan-contracting.html">U.S. watchdog for Afghanistan contracting resigns</a></li> <li>· <a href="/web/20130309170043/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/11/14/103381/contractor-leaves-afghan-police.html">Contractor leaves Afghan police stations half-complete</a></li> <li>· <a href="/web/20130309170043/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/11/14/103380/us-hires-firms-with-questionable.html">U.S. hires firms with questionable pasts for Afghan jobs</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <!-- Start: /pubsys/production/shared/html_module.comp --> <!-- ABOUT THESE STORIES PROMO STARTS HERE --> <div class="box_blog"> <h2>AFGHAN CONTRACTING</h2> <h1 class="clear promo_blurb">About this project</h1> <p>McClatchy reporters working in Afghanistan and Washington identified nearly $200 million in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects that have failed, face serious delays or resulted in subpar work, hindering Obama administration hopes of improving the lives of Afghans and succeeding in the fight against the Taliban. The reporters found that oversight by U.S. officials is so flawed that a vast majority of the companies that do shoddy work haven't been banned from getting new U.S. contracts. They also found that political influence by the Afghan elite, and not business competency, was behind the development of two major national assets in Afghanistan: a coal mine and cement factory.</p> <br/> </div> <!-- ABOUT THESE STORIES PROMO ENDS HERE --><!-- End: /pubsys/production/shared/html_module.comp --> <center><div class="advertisement ts_pubsys_production_section_section_hurricanes dart3" id="dart_300x250_bts_1"><!-- support/ads/dart_call.ett :start v.15694 --><!-- in gpt_generic --><script type="text/javascript"> document.write("<div id='div-gpt-ad-"+mi__gpt_ord+"-3'><scr"+"ipt type='text/javascript'>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-"+mi__gpt_ord+"-3'); });</scr"+"ipt></div>"); </script> <!-- support/ads/dart_call.ett :end --> </div></center><!-- /.advertisement ts_pubsys_production_section_section_hurricanes --> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div id="col_3"> <!-- start /shared/login_form_rr.comp --> <div id="rrRegistraion"> <!-- Start /registration/production/registration_links.comp --> <div id="registration"> <h1>Stay Connected</h1> <style> #rrRegistraion h1 {margin:0 0 5px 0;} .connectIcon {margin:0;} .layout_home #col_3 #connectBreak {display:none;} #col_3 #connectBreak, #story_body #connectBreak {display:block; 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