Bush wants to send computers to Afghanistan

WASHINGTON -- About 1,000 Internal Revenue Service computers woulsd be shipped to Afghanistan to help that nation's government rebuild its finance ministry under a proposal by the Bush administration.

The 2-year-old desktop and laptop computers, which are being taken out of service at the IRS, would enable the Kabul government to better keep track of its finances, including billions of dollars in foreign aid, and monitor the banking system for evidence of money-laundering and other terrorist activity.

Much of the Afghan government's equipment is out of date, some was pillaged during years of war and some was destroyed by the now-deposed Taliban rulers.

The administration will ask Congress for $200,000 for the transportation and installation of the computers as part of an upcoming supplemental spending request.

As with any IRS computer taken out of service, all U.S. taxpayer data would be removed before any machine was shipped to Afghanistan.