A paradox of foreign aid

This article highlights what I think is one of the hardest things to get right about aid in general and in Pakistan in particular. How do you get the most bang for your aid buck on the ground while ensuring that you don't a) pick winners (money = political patronage) and b) make sure that your money isn't sucked off by corruption or end up in the wrong hands (Pakistan's ISI is both corrupt and tied to the very insurgents we're currently at war with). Check it out: "US aid to Pakistan ‘depleted by admin costs’"