Trying To Rout Out Corruption In The Chinese Military

ESSENTIAL BACKING: President Xi Jinping inspecting an honor guard in September. The armed forces are integral to his “China dream,” a rejuvenated nation that is both peace-loving and militarily powerful. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

David Tweed, Bloomberg: What's Wrong With China's Army?

(Bloomberg) --In the “century of humiliation” that President Xi Jinping often evokes for his goal of turning China into a great power, one particular episode resonates: The defeat of China’s navy by Japan in 1894.

The Battle of Yalu in the Yellow Sea was a mortifying defeat in the first Sino-Japanese war, a conflict that China’s leaders assumed they would win against a smaller, if recently modernized opponent.

China had better, newer guns. But its navy was furnished with shells that were either filled with cement or porcelain, or were simply the wrong caliber, S.C.M. Paine writes in “The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895: Perceptions, Power, and Primacy.” To blame? Ordnance officials on the take.

Now, Xi is seeking to transform the military into a modern outfit that can “fight and win wars,” acknowledging the effect of corruption on the People’s Liberation Army -- the world’s largest ground force -- alongside decades of patchy training and tolerance of underperformers. At an annual meeting of lawmakers this month, he said stamping out graft would make for better troops.

NWU Editor: A sobering assessment of the Chinese military. A must read.

Latest Global Corruption Index Report Released

Corruption A 'Problem For All,' Latest Global Index Shows -- Deutsche Welle

No country in the world has managed to achieve a perfect score of 100 in the 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index. The study by Transparency International urges failing states to adopt radical anti-corruption measures.

According to the Corruption Perceptions Index 2014, published by Transparency International on Wednesday, corruption is a problem "for all economies." To prevent the growing problem, the anti-corruption group said leading financial centers in the EU and US need to "act together with fast-growing economies."

"Poorly equipped schools, counterfeit medicine and elections decided by money," were just some of the consequences of corruption listed by the Index.

Read more ....

More News On The Latest Global Corruption Index Report Being Released

Transparency International reports little progress in corruption fight -- L.A. Times
Officials hiding ill-gotten gains undermine corruption fight-watchdog -- Reuters
Mapped: The world's most corrupt officials -- The Telegraph
Which Countries Are The Most Corrupt? -- NPR
Most and Least Corrupt Countries in the World -- Sputnik
Transparency Study Shows Corruption Widespread In Ex-Soviet States, Balkans -- Radio Free Europe
Italy seen as corrupt as Greece, Romania and Bulgaria -- EU Observer
India Ranked Less Corrupt Than China for the First Time in 18 Years -- WSJ
Some African countries 'very slow' in battling corruption, survey says -- Deutsche Welle
North Korea, East Africa Rank High on Corruption Scale -- VOA
China and Turkey fall behind in global corruption index -- Reuters
China and Turkey Among Biggest Losers in Corruption Ranking -- Bloomberg
China Slips in Corruption Perceptions Report -- NYT
China slips down corruption perception index, despite high-profile crackdown -- CNN
The 17 Most Corrupt Countries In The World -- Business Insider

WNU Editor: The Transparency International website is here.

How Corruption In Iraq Is Crippling The War Against The Islamic State

Iraqi Army personnel take part during an intensive security deployment against Islamic State militants in Jurf al-Sakhar, October 27, 2014. Photo: Reuters/Mahmoud Raouf Mahmoud

Graft Hobbles Iraq’s Military in Fighting ISIS -- New York Times

BAGHDAD — One Iraqi general is known as “chicken guy” because of his reputation for selling his soldiers’ poultry provisions. Another is “arak guy,” for his habit of enjoying that anis-flavored liquor on the job. A third is named after Iraq’s 10,000-dinar bills, “General Deftar,” and is infamous for selling officer commissions.

They are just a few of the faces of the entrenched corruption of the Iraqi security forces, according to Iraqi officers and lawmakers as well as American officials.

The Iraqi military and police forces had been so thoroughly pillaged by their own corrupt leadership that they all but collapsed this spring in the face of the advancing militants of the Islamic State — despite roughly $25 billion worth of American training and equipment over the past 10 years and far more from the Iraqi treasury.

Now the pattern of corruption and patronage in the Iraqi government forces threatens to undermine a new American-led effort to drive out the extremists, even as President Obama is doubling to 3,000 the number of American troops in Iraq.

Read more ....

More News On Corruption In The Iraqi Army

Iraqi Corruption Has Enabled ISIS Access To U.S. Weapons -- IBTimes
'Ghost' soldiers haunt Iraqi army -- Al-Monitor
Iraqi PM sacks 26 army commanders for incompetence and graft -- Zawya/Reuters
Iraq finance minister urges battle against graft in military -- Reuters
Iraq's top cleric says graft in army helped Islamic State -- Reuters

WNU Editor: This is a depressing read .... ISIS Militants Are Already Getting Their Hands on Recently Supplied US Weapons in Iraq -- CP

Update: How U.S. Weapons Fall Into the Hands of Terrorists: The perils of shipping arms to Iraq and Syria -- Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic

The Rise And Fall Of China's Top General

China's then-Central Military Commission Vice Chairman General Xu Caihou salutes as he listens to national anthems during a welcome ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington on Oct 27, 2009. Photo: REUTERS

1 Ton In Banknotes Found In Ex-Chinese Military Leader's Home -- Want China Times

Chinese investigators have found one metric ton of Chinese yuan and foreign currencies during a search of the home of Xu Caihou, former vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, amid an investigation of corruption, according to a report by Hong Kong's Phoenix Weekly.

When investigators opened the basement of Xu's 2,000-square meter luxury residency in Beijing, they found one ton of bills, including US dollars and euros, in addition of piles of valuable jades, emeralds, ancient paintings and calligraphy works, the report said.

The historic art was said to date as far back as the Tang Dynasty (618-907CE).

Read more ....

More News On The Rise And Fall of Chinese General Xu Caihou

It Took 12 Trucks to Haul Away All the Cash This Corrupt Chinese General Hid in His Home -- Slate
Former top China military officer Xu Caihou hoarded cash, jade in basement -- Strait Times
Ex-Chinese military leader found with 1 ton of Chinese, foreign money -- Focus Taiwan
Xu Caihou has Only Been Charged with the Lightest of Crimes -- NTD
China's biggest 'military tiger' Xu Caihou confesses to taking bribes -- CNN
China to put decorated general on trial over corruption -- The Guardian
Xu Caihou’s Vast Network Of Relationships May Cause Big Cleansing In Military -- NTD

My Comment: It took 12 trucks to haul away the cash .... 12 trucks!!!! Unbelievable. Corruption in China is part of the culture .... so this is why I never thought that a top military leader would be targeted and removed for doing what everyone else in his position has been doing for years. But Chinese President Xi is clearly intent and determined to stamp out corruption at the top, and he has succeeded beyond his expectations because the fall of this top General is sending a chill throughout the Chinese military hierarchy.

Update #1: No kidding .... Xi Urges Serious Reflection on Xu Caihou’s Case -- CRIEnglish

Update #2: The list of charges that former General Xu Caihou's faces makes even my jaw drop .... Xu Caihou has Only Been Charged with the Lightest of Crimes (NTD).

Update #3: It should be noted that there is also another (possible) reason for the removal of General Xu Caihou and others like him .... there has been a history of disputes over policy between Chinese President Xi and some in the military for a long time (something that I pointed out last year).... Tensions Between China`s Generals And The Civilian Leadership? .... and this is an extremely effective way for President Xi to now get rid of his "opponents" and to assert civilian control.

How Longterm And Widespread Corruption In Ukraine Brought About The Crisis Of Today

Banknotes of Ukrainian hryvnia are seen in Kiev in this May 23, 2012 file photo. Credit: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/Files

Special Report: How Scams And Shakedowns Brought Ukraine To Its Knees -- Steve Stecklow, Elizabeth Piper and Oleksandr Akymenko, Reuters

(Reuters) - Late last year, Ukraine’s consumer protection agency began filing lawsuits against Foxtrot, the country’s largest electronics retailer. By early March, Foxtrot faced at least 231 separate suits that demanded fines totaling more than $150 million.

Many of the suits accused the company of minor violations of Ukraine’s labeling law – such as not placing a "quality seal" on tiny memory cards and wafer-thin batteries inside mobile phones. Foxtrot said it placed the seals on the external packaging, which the law also allows.

Viacheslav Povroznick, Foxtrot’s CEO, said agency officials proposed a deal – pay $1 million in cash and the lawsuits would disappear. "We said no," he said. "It was like a kind of extortion." Today, the company still faces a mountain of litigation.

Read more ....

My Comment: Regular readers of this blog know that I have family members who live and do business Ukraine .... and yes .... it has been a difficult struggle for all of them. With this perspective .... I can sadly say with a great deal of confidence that this Reuters post is spot on .... and it explains why people like myself decided years ago on not doing any business in Ukraine.

The corruption is just unbelievable .... it puts to shame the corruption that exists in places like China and Russia .... and it just destroys the spirit of the entrepreneurial class. I have doubts that the newly elected Ukrainian President will be able to correct this .... the problem and the culture of corruption in Ukraine is pervasive and everywhere .... and as for the billions in aid that have been promised to Ukraine from the West .... unless the entire Ukrainian bureaucracy is dismantled .... this aid money is just going to disappear.