Are Pentagon contracts funding the Taliban?

It is not the US military who is paying for these Afgahni businesses. It is the taxpaying American public.

Ch (MAJ) Gale Cotton, student, Command and General Staff College, US Army Combined Arms Center, Fort Lee Satellite Campus, Army Logistics University, Fort Lee, Virginia
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. government
Contracts with Taliban: Applying the tests of analysis
Problem: I was challenged recently when I heard a report that large sums of money have reportedly been paid to the Taliban to secure supplies for troops in Afghanistan.
Discussion:
As a military Chaplain and commissioned officer I know that painstaking analysis goes into any policy decision and this policy decision was based on an examination of numerous factors and their interrelationships. This is not a critique of current policy, but I am curious about how the current problems in Afghanistan were framed and this policy analysis that took place. Under the constraints of civil-military-relations, officers are out of line if they think that they can publicly critique the current administration. Furthermore, in my oath of commissioning, I swore loyalty and fidelity to the president of the United States. Soldiers don’t set policy, they execute it. At the same time, officers have a responsibility to provide timely feedback and analysis that will influence the potential success or failure of any policy. This guidance may create the incremental changes that will affect outcomes. When strategy is not carefully analyzed and is critiqued by the media it is certain to illuminate flaws. Military analysis can help consider second and third order effects of a policy which may concern the American people. This analysis will consider the principles of logistical, ethical and political values.
Logistical analysis is based on what we need to know about this course of action and how it will impact the success of our policy goals. The plan should be simple, easy to understand, on schedule and all activities should be coordinated. It should meet a definite need and be known and acceptable to all concerned. It should be achievable, specific, and flexible. We need to know, for example, when the plan should be changed and at what cost. We need to fully evaluate the potential of success in our national and international environment. We need to know the consequences of this action, if we execute it, and what the consequences will be if we change it. We also need to know the consequences of inaction. Contracts with civilian personnel are a means to get supplies transported to our troops in areas with numerous hazards. Sometimes the only persons or organizations that are capable of supplying this service may not be people we want to do business with. This will lead to an analysis of conflicting values.

Ethical analysis considers competing values. We would have to compare and evaluate values, the dilemmas they create, and the objectives that would create the least negative consequences. We would want to avoid waste, increase efficiency, gain and maintain the public trust and avoid any abuse of authority. There are numerous ways in which we can clarify and prioritize values. These approaches could be based on moral absolutes, the greatest good for the greatest number, the end state, ethical system most people agree on, etc. These values must be balanced against national security concerns.
Political analysis considers primary and subordinate policy strategies and the exact objectives necessary to obtain those objectives. On the May 12, 2009, the issue of “Reform Procurement, Acquisition, and Contracting” was outlined on the white House website. It stated that we need to change the way we acquire military equipment and services. First of all, these programs must “perform” and remain within their budget, buying only what is needed to achieve national strategy objectives.” These expenditures must meet cost and schedule constraints. All programs will also receive disciplined and effective oversight. Any type of contract will have to pass these tests in order to be valid expenditures of tax payer dollars.

If I was a policy maker, which I am not, or an advisor to one, I would have to consider the implementation Biblical truths understood as creation and cultural ordinances. The military Chaplain serves dual functions within the military. Chaplains function as staff officer advisors to the commander who are informed by the principles and customs of military science. We also serve a religious organization and are constrained by the fundamentals of faith and practice. The objective evidence of any decision in public or private life would have to be evaluated first by Holy Scripture and then secondarily by the science of theology and the practices of believing communities over time. I offer this view to any commander that iss interested. Every policy decision will benefit from a lively debate from the religious community.

Based upon the above criteria and tools we certainly have a place to begin our analysis of this policy strategy and evaluate the trade-offs between logistical, ethical and political success. My skills of analysis and understanding of the facts do not compare to the skills sets of the policy strategists of the current administration but I do have a few questions.
My professional curiosity has been enlivened by the discussion of contracts with the Taliban. My current sphere of influence, if we can call it that, is at the tactical level and I have no experience with strategic thinking. My contributions to tactical planning are in the sphere of morals, morale and religion. I am very curious about the ethical-religious analysis which was conducted prior to the execution of this strategic objective and will monitor this debate as I professionally prepare for strategic level decision making.