Improved Clinch

What the Actual Problem Is

The headline reads, “Russia Wants Faster Aid for ‘Rotting’ Nuclear Subs," and it describes the problem thusly.

"Russia faces grave environmental and terrorist threats unless donors accelerate a slow trickle of international aid for dismantling its rusting nuclear submarines, a senior official said.

Deputy Atomic Energy Minister Sergei Antipov said Russia would raise its concerns next month at a meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) leading nations in the United States.

He said Moscow was very worried at the slow rate of funding, despite a much-trumpeted G8 initiative at a 2002 summit in Canada to spend $20 billion over 10 years to secure stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biological materials."

But, what the actual problems is,

"Antipov said a large proportion of the promised aid money was being spent ineffectively by donors in their own countries on “various experts, trips and discussions.”

“It’s a well known problem, it always arises with international aid. We understand they can’t help spending some of this money at home because this work has to be organized. But the question is what proportion—10, 20 or 60 percent?

“Ten to 20 should probably be the upper limit but there are actual facts today to show our partners are spending up to 60 percent at home,” he said."

Not that this type of problem is something new.

Via Drudge.

Posted by on 05/17 at 07:24 AM