Strapped U.S. Government Spends Millions on Roads Overseas

Not all the beneficiary governments are huge fans of the U.S.

A little known US government agency has spent hundreds of millions of US taxpayer dollars to build roads in foreign countries—including those openly hostile to American interests. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Wednesday released an audit of the Millennium Challenge Corporation program that was supposed to build 1132 miles of road in Armenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Honduras, Nicaragua and Vanuatu. Only 387 miles were actually built.

"The Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US government corporation, was established in 2004 to provide aid to developing countries that have demonstrated a commitment to ruling justly, encouraging economic freedom, and investing in people," GAO said in its September 12 report to the House and Senate Appropriations committees.