Steve Peacock's U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor

Feds Hid Spending During Government Shutdown

The Obama administration during the partial government shutdown concealed a plan to funnel millions into yet another project in Afghanistan, where U.S. taxpayers are helping farmers grow wheat instead of illicit crops used in narcotics production.

Iranians and Pakistanis could particularly benefit from the endeavor, according to contracting documents U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor discovered via routine database research.

The U.S. Agency for International Development explicitly identified Iran and Pakistan as long-time recipients of food products exported from the targeted provinces of Helmand, Kandahar and Zabul, which likewise have helped satisfy Afghanistan’s nationwide food requirements.

The Monitor’s discovery of USAID’s purported oversight in public disclosure comes at a time when President Obama and his supporters have escalated their rhetoric about the shutdown’s impact on the nation’s financial and political stability.

Just as Obama was casting blame on Republicans for attempting to wreck the U.S. economy, USAID simultaneously failed to notify the American public, as required by government regulations, of its $125 million award to contracting behemoth Chemonics International.

Chemonics secured the award Oct. 7, at the end of Week One of the budgetary stalemate among both houses of Congress and the White House.

USAID did not publish the award notice until Oct. 17, the day Obama signed the bill to end the partial shutdown and raise the federal debt ceiling.

The agency, however, did not attempt to blame the delay on the shutdown nor could it realistically attempt to do so, as the FedBizOpps online contracting system was fully operational during that period.

Rather, the agency offered an uncertain excuse for its procrastination, claiming a “systems integration and/or transmission error resulted that the award notice was not posted.”

USAID admitted it should have publicly announced the award “on or before” Oct. 10

Chemonics will carry out the Regional Agricultural Development Program, or RADP-South initiative, “to improve food and economic security for rural Afghans in the targeted areas.”

“This sustainable agricultural development program will support the consolidation of licit economies to fuel economic growth, including providing alternatives to poppy cultivation,” according the project’s Statement of Work.

As this writer reported for WND, the U.S. Trade & Development Agency – an independent White House agency – offered to pay a consultant $300,000 to guide Kenyan and other East African power companies on how to tap into Obama’s multi-billion-dollar Power Africa scheme.

The administration slipped in the contract one day prior to the shutdown.

Five days later, Obama separately released plans to make available up to $50 million in giveaways to the energy industry and foreign aid recipients, the Monitor now has discovered.

USTDA intends to award indefinite quantity/indefinite delivery, or IDIQ, contracts worldwide “to respond quickly to U.S. business interests and foreign project sponsor needs in the energy sector.”

Despite its global reach, the Multiple-Award Energy Sector Planning Services IDIQ initiative admittedly will place “particular emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa,” USTDA said.

USTDA is the same entity, as this writer also reported for WND last month, that is spending $100,000 to create a manual to teach Mexican officials and U.S. corporate welfare recipients how to get more money from the U.S. government.

While USTDA arguably is a relatively small agency – its FY 2014 budget request is just under $63 million – it consistently undergoes criticism along with calls for closure. Former Republican Rep. Ron Paul and free-market think tanks such as the Cato Institute regularly denounce it as among the most duplicative and wasteful of all federal entities.

USTDA consequently represents one of the most egregious examples of “corporate welfare waste,” the Cato Institute concluded in a 2005 report. These and similar organizations “should be terminated,” contended the report’s author, Chris Edwards.

This article originally was published Oct. 24, 2013 via WND. Under agreement with the publisher, rights have reverted back to the copywrite holder, Steve Peacock.

Feds Hid Spending During Government Shutdown (WND)

My latest from WND. -- S.P.

The Obama administration during the partial government shutdown concealed a plan to funnel millions into yet another project in Afghanistan, where U.S. taxpayers are helping farmers grow wheat instead of illicit crops used in narcotics production.

Iranians and Pakistanis could particularly benefit from the endeavor, according to contracting documents WND discovered via routine database research.

The U.S. Agency for International Development explicitly identified Iran and Pakistan as long-time recipients of food products exported from the targeted provinces of Helmand, Kandahar and Zabul, which likewise have helped satisfy Afghanistan’s nationwide food requirements.

Read more at WND.com...

U.S. Launches 'Flagship Project' to Reform Mexican Justice System

Continued modernization of the Mexican criminal justice system purportedly will help stem "the drug-fueled violence that has threatened citizens on both sides of the border," according to the Obama Administration. Obama through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) consequently has launched a new program called the Mexico Promoting Justice Project, also known as PROJUST, which will attempt system reform in several Mexican states.

PROJUST will infuse an unspecified level of additional taxpayer dollars to "support comprehensive criminal justice reform that adheres to Mexican and international human rights standards implemented at state and federal levels."

USAID/Mexico seeks to enhance broader U.S. and Mexican government efforts "to mitigate conflict, reduce impunity, and promote a more transparent and efficient justice system." PROJUST specifically will support the Merida Initiative, a partnership the two nations launched in 2008 to share such responsibilities.

The U.S. Congress appropriated $1.6 billion since the initiative started, according to the U.S. Department of State.

PROJUST is considered to be the "USAID flagship project" that will enable the Obama Administration to achieve the following results:

1) Legislative framework enacted for criminal justice reform; and

2) Strengthened institutional and human capacity to implement criminal justice reform.

USAID anticipates awarding a five-year cost reimbursement completion contract for PROJUST, which is expected to begin around July 2013.

Bullets Over Bogota: DEA Flight Unit to Stockpile Ammo

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration tentatively is planning to purchase 121,000 rounds of ammunition specifically for DEA Aviation Division operations in the U.S., the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Afghanistan.

According to a Sources Sought notice that U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor located via routine database research, the agency is looking to buy the following quantity and types of bullets:

• 80,000 rounds; .40 Smith & Wesson, full metal jacket (FMJ); 
• 15,000 rounds; .40 Smith & Wesson, jacketed hollow point (JHP);
• 11,000 rounds, 9mm. Luger, FMJ;
• 3,000 rounds; 9mm. Luger, JHP;
• 10,000 rounds; .38 Special wadcutter;
• 2,000 rounds, 38 Special; Hydra-Shok (JHP).

The  ammunition, according to  manufacturer descriptions, is used for defense and target shooting, respectively.

DEA is seeking capability statements from vendors, but has not yet issued a Request for Proposals. Responses are due June 28.

Source document: Solicitation #D-12-HQ-Q-0062.

FOR ADDITIONAL COVERAGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE ISSUES, PLEASE VISIT THE MONITOR'S LAW ENFORCEMENT/POLICE PAGE, DEA PAGE, AND ITS DRUGS PAGE.

House Panel Tackling State Dept., Foreign Ops Bill This Morning

The House Appropriations Committee this morning is marking up the FY2013 State, Foreign Operations, and Other Programs bill. Some cuts are proposed, and yet much stays the same.  The so-called Drug War, to cite one example, will continue unabated, as the following committee statement indicates:

The Committee recommendation restores reductions proposed in the request for key countries in Latin America. The Committee believes it is critical to continue robust support for counternarcotics and law enforcement efforts, as well as assistance for rule of law and judicial reform activities in Mexico, Colombia, Central America, and the Caribbean to fight drug trafficking and violent crime before it reaches the borders of the United States. The security and stability of these neighbors directly affects the United States.

Taking away opportunities for the murderous drug lords across the hemisphere (i.e.: decriminalization of drugs) is not an option on the table. More multi-billion counternarcotics operations contracts on the horizon.

To view the hearing, go to the committee website.

From Coca to Cacao: USAID to Launch New Peruvian 'Alternative Development' Project

A new project to help -- indeed, convince -- former coca-producers in Peru to pursue licit economic activities is about to be unveiled by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  The agency will enlist the help of private contractors to help it "pursue the overall goal of promoting and sustaining licit local development in communities formerly dependent on an illicit economy."

The project will complement U.S.- and Peruvian-funded alternative development endeavors underway aiming " to reduce illicit coca cultivation in Peru." According to a presolicitation notice that U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor located today via routine database research:

USAID seeks to introduce licit lifestyles to communities who have had their illicit coca recently eradicated, convince these communities of the benefits of becoming (and remaining) coca-free, deliver limited assistance in order to gain community consent, support the negotiation of coca-free agreements with the GOP, and connect participants to strong, functioning government and non-government organizations that will help them meet their social and economic needs.

In addition to supporting the installation of alternative crops such as cacao, coffee, and oil palm, the selected USAID contractor will embark upon an information barrage of the Peruvian people to further reinforce these efforts.

The agency describes the informational component as a "diverse, multi-media communication program that will sustain the licit development gains made to date and ensure commitment to licit lifestyles."

USAID will release a formal Request for Proposals around May 21. The tentative delivery date for contrctor services is October 2012. It did not disclose the project's estimated cost.

Source document: Solicitation #SOL-527-12-000013.

FOR ADDITIONAL COVERAGE OF THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PLEASE VISIT THE MONITOR'S USAID PAGE.

FOR FURTHER COVERAGE OF INFORMATION-DISSEMINATION ISSUES, SEE THE MONITOR’S PROPAGANDA/PR PAGE.

ALSO SEE THE MONITOR'S DRUGS PAGE.

2012-2017 Narco-Plant Spraying Contracts: $75 Million

Up to $75 million in contracts in support of U.S. State Dept. crop-eradication initiatives worldwide are expected to be awarded over the next five years. According to a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) dated March 1, State’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is looking for contractors that can provide aircraft equipped with defensive armor protection that are capable of spraying herbicide from altitudes of up to 12,000 feet.

Although the “primary mission is to locate and eradicate illicit narcotic producing plants,” the aircraft will serve a “secondary function as a mission recorder providing a vital database for spray analysis and mission evaluation,” according the draft RFP (Solicitation #SAQMMA12R0125).

Indefinite quantity contracts (IQCs) will be awarded at a minimum of $8 million each. State expects to issue a formal RFP by the end of the month.

FOR RELATED COVERAGE, SEE U.S.TRADE & AID MONITOR'S LAW ENFORCEMENT/POLICE ISSUES PAGE.

FOR ADDITIONAL REPORTING ON THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, SEE THE MONITOR'S USAID PAGE.

ALSO SEE THE MONITOR'S DRUGS PAGE.

Feds Hiring Contractor to Help Fight Crime Across Nation

The U.S. government is reaching out to the private sector for help in implementing a new municipal crime-prevention program across the nation -- across the nation of El Salvador, that is.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) estimates just a $25 million price tag for the "El Salvador Crime and Violence Prevention Project" (Solicitation #SOL-519-12-000002);  it should be noted, however, that the endeavor is only the latest in a series of such multi-year, U.S.- funded initiatives in El Salvador, which the agency says has "one of the highest rates of non-political violence in the world."

In the last four years, USAID has funded three key prevention programs: Crime and Violence Prevention Project (CVPP), currently being implemented by Research Triangle Institute International; the Regional Youth Alliance Project (AJR), currently being implemented by Creative Associates; and, Strengthening the Judicial System project implemented by Checchi Consulting.  Together, these programs have supported the [Government of El Salvador] (GOES) as it improves the capacity of municipal government, civil society and communities to: better analyze crime patterns; plan and implement activities to combat crime and violence; and, measure the impact of interventions.

The selected contractor will be tasked with exploring "the greater use of science and technology to target crime and violence prevention" as well as employing "creative responses and approaches in order to achieve the desired results," according to the Statement of Work (SOW).

Among the results desired for this Central American nation is modifying its Mano Dura, or "Iron Fist," approach to contending with gang violence. USAID says this approach alone will not solve the problem, as heightened investments in law enforcement have taken away from national investments into economic growth.  Likewise, according to the SOW:

The root causes of violence and gang activity are largely understood to include income disparity and issues of significant social inequality...  Additional sources of insecurity include limited employment and education opportunities, large numbers of readily available small arms, rapid and disorganized urban growth without adequate services, and lack of societal support to prevent at risk youth from being recruited into gangs.

USAID expects to award a three-year base contract with two possible option years.

FOR RELATED COVERAGE, SEE U.S.TRADE & AID MONITOR'S LAW ENFORCEMENT/POLICE ISSUES PAGE.

FOR ADDITIONAL REPORTING ON THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, SEE THE MONITOR'S USAID PAGE.

(Image caption: MS-13 gang graffiti in San Salvador.)

USAID Awards Another Job-Creation Contract in Colombia -- This Time: $90 Million

A $90 million contract aimed at creating jobs as well as strengthening local governments in Colombia has been awarded to Chemonics International by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Consolidation and Enhanced Livelihoods Initiative, or CELI, as it is known, seeks to sway Colombian citizens from participating in drug-related activities and to instead pursue legal livelihoods.

A U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor previously reported, USAID earlier this year separately awarded a $110 million contract to a different vendor to achieve similar goals across Colombia (see: U.S. Contractor to Help Colombia Establish 'Presence' in Former Coca-Eradication Zones, April 27, 2011).

Source document: Award #AID-514-C-12-00001

FOR ADDITIONAL REGIONAL COVERAGE, SEE THE MONITOR’S COLOMBIA PAGE.

FOR ADDITIONAL COVERAGE OF THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PLEASE VISIT THE MONITOR'S USAID PAGE.

ALSO SEE THE MONITOR'S LAW ENFORCEMENT/POLICE PAGE AND DRUGS PAGE.

Hearing: “Emerging Threats and Security in the Western Hemisphere: Next Steps for U.S. Policy.”

The House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday, October 13, will host a hearing titled, “Emerging Threats and Security in the Western Hemisphere: Next Steps for U.S. Policy.” The committee announced that it will examine “current trends and security challenges in Latin America, including drug trafficking, extremism, illicit financing, and the increasing influence of rogue regimes.” It will review U.S. security assistance and policy in Latin America and the Caribbean, and U.S. priorities in the region.

The following witnesses have been called to testify:

1) The Honorable William R. Brownfield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S. Department of State;

2) The Honorable Philip S. Goldberg, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, U.S. Department of State;

3) The Honorable Daniel L. Glaser, Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, U.S. Department of Treasury;

4) General Douglas Fraser (Invited), Commander, U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Department of Defense.

The event will be held in room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC, and also will be available via live video through the committee’s website.