Frances Townsend, Baker Botts Risk Management Consultant, wants Afghanistan work. She recommended a civilian counterpart to the military structure to help rebuild the country. Think of it like New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina, where the national guard maintained order, but couldn't rebuild the city. The civilian leader would work with private corporations and nongovernmental organizations, i.e. potential Baker Botts clients.
Consider Fran's words on Hamid Karzai:
If he fails he will not simply fail NATO and his US allies, he is going to fail the Afghan people and he will be thrown out of office.Unless he or his supporters stuff the ballot box. Contrast this with Karzai's recent statement:
"We must have a second round (a runoff vote)...If we don't do that we'll be insulting democracy."
There was no second round. Abdullah Abdullah dropped out, sure the redo would be as corrupt as the original.
Later Townsend said:
This is exactly the reason why we democratically elect leaders to make difficult public policy decisions that are in the country's best interest.
How far did her nose grow with that remark? How was omitting the hospital with the highest patient death toll from Fran's Katrina Lessons Learned report in America's best interest?
How was her whitewash beneficial? I can see why the Carlyle Group's LifeCare Hospitals and Tenet Health might be grateful. A supposedly incensed Senate Homeland Security Committee recently hosted Frances, asking not a question on Katrina.
Karzai and Townsend are proof one can do shoddy work and benefit.
