what has happened to the billions of dollars of Iraqi reconstruction money entrusted to the American Coalition? In just 14 months, the CPA burned its way through nearly US$20 billion. But no-one can account for where it all went. Iraq's infrastructure is worse than ever before: operating theatres are flooded with sewage; new-born babies are dying for lack of basic equipment.
a horrific story of fraud, incompetence and corruption?
got meh...maybe paid debt to kuwait or simply use to pay staffs to maintain orders, anyway, in any wars, there is a price to pay.
Since you also dunno, how can you say...it is a horrific story and incompetence, corruption etc etc....check it out before insulting others ya.
I think you must be drinking whiskey while posting
Originally posted by angel7030:got meh...maybe paid debt to kuwait or simply use to pay staffs to maintain orders, anyway, in any wars, there is a price to pay.
Since you also dunno, how can you say...it is a horrific story and incompetence, corruption etc etc....check it out before insulting others ya.
I think you must be drinking whiskey while posting
Missing Iraq billions could be 'greatest fraud in US history'
Stephen C. Webster
Published: Monday February 16, 2009
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Missing_Iraq_billions_could_be_greatest_0216.html
The US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), the
Army's criminal Investigation Command and the Justice Department are
investigating US soldiers and officials in the alleged misuse of a
portion of the $125 billion initially sent to Iraq for reconstruction
shortly after the fall of Saddam.
Monday, The Independent's Iraq correspondent Patrick Cockburn reported the inspectors believe misuse may account for over $50 billion, exceeding the scope of Bernie Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme and making it potentially the "greatest fraud in US history."
"In one case, auditors working for SIGIR discovered that $57.8m was
sent in 'pallet upon pallet of hundred-dollar bills' to the US
comptroller for south-central Iraq, Robert J Stein Jr, who had himself
photographed standing with the mound of money," wrote Cockburn. "He is
among the few US officials who were in Iraq to be convicted of fraud
and money-laundering.
"Despite the vast sums expended on rebuilding by the US since 2003,
there have been no cranes visible on the Baghdad skyline except those
at work building a new US embassy and others rusting beside a
half-built giant mosque that Saddam was constructing when he was
overthrown."
The SIGIR auditor's report, entitled "Hard Lessons," was published in early February.
"'Hard Lessons,' a draft of which was leaked to the news media in
December, concludes that the U.S. reconstruction effort in Iraq was a
failure, largely because there was no overall strategy behind it," reported the Washington Post.
"Goals shifted from 'liberation' and an early military exit to massive,
ill-conceived and expensive building projects under the Coalition
Provisional Authority of 2003 and 2004. Many of those projects -- over
budget, poorly executed or, often, barely begun -- were abandoned as
security worsened.
"In a preface to the 456-page book, Bowen writes that he knew the
reconstruction was in trouble when he first visited Iraq in January
2004 and saw duffel bags full of cash being carried out of the
Republican Palace, which housed the U.S. occupation government."
"As part of the inquiry, the authorities are taking a fresh look at
information given to them by Dale Stoffel, an American arms dealer and
contractor who was killed in Iraq in late 2004," reported the International Herald Tribune on Sunday.
"Before he was shot on a road north of Baghdad, Stoffel drew a portrait
worthy of a pulp crime novel: tens of thousands of dollars stuffed into
pizza boxes and delivered surreptitiously to the American contracting
offices in Baghdad, and payoffs made in paper bags that were scattered
in 'dead drops' around the Green Zone, the nerve center of the United
States government's presence in Iraq, two senior federal officials
said."
"Prosecutors have won 35 convictions on cases related to reconstruction
in Iraq, yet most of them involved private contractors or midlevel
officials. The current inquiry is aiming at higher-level officials,
according to investigators involved in the case, and is also trying to
determine if there are connections between those officials and figures
in the other cases. Although Bell and Hirtle were military officers,
they worked in a civilian contracting office."
So far, there have been just 35 convictions for the misuse of government funds during the reconstruction of Iraq.
Originally posted by freedomclub:Missing Iraq billions could be 'greatest fraud in US history'
Stephen C. Webster
Published: Monday February 16, 2009http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Missing_Iraq_billions_could_be_greatest_0216.html
The US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), the Army's criminal Investigation Command and the Justice Department are investigating US soldiers and officials in the alleged misuse of a portion of the $125 billion initially sent to Iraq for reconstruction shortly after the fall of Saddam.
Monday, The Independent's Iraq correspondent Patrick Cockburn reported the inspectors believe misuse may account for over $50 billion, exceeding the scope of Bernie Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme and making it potentially the "greatest fraud in US history."
"In one case, auditors working for SIGIR discovered that $57.8m was sent in 'pallet upon pallet of hundred-dollar bills' to the US comptroller for south-central Iraq, Robert J Stein Jr, who had himself photographed standing with the mound of money," wrote Cockburn. "He is among the few US officials who were in Iraq to be convicted of fraud and money-laundering.
"Despite the vast sums expended on rebuilding by the US since 2003, there have been no cranes visible on the Baghdad skyline except those at work building a new US embassy and others rusting beside a half-built giant mosque that Saddam was constructing when he was overthrown."
The SIGIR auditor's report, entitled "Hard Lessons," was published in early February.
"'Hard Lessons,' a draft of which was leaked to the news media in December, concludes that the U.S. reconstruction effort in Iraq was a failure, largely because there was no overall strategy behind it," reported the Washington Post. "Goals shifted from 'liberation' and an early military exit to massive, ill-conceived and expensive building projects under the Coalition Provisional Authority of 2003 and 2004. Many of those projects -- over budget, poorly executed or, often, barely begun -- were abandoned as security worsened.
"In a preface to the 456-page book, Bowen writes that he knew the reconstruction was in trouble when he first visited Iraq in January 2004 and saw duffel bags full of cash being carried out of the Republican Palace, which housed the U.S. occupation government."
"As part of the inquiry, the authorities are taking a fresh look at information given to them by Dale Stoffel, an American arms dealer and contractor who was killed in Iraq in late 2004," reported the International Herald Tribune on Sunday.
"Before he was shot on a road north of Baghdad, Stoffel drew a portrait worthy of a pulp crime novel: tens of thousands of dollars stuffed into pizza boxes and delivered surreptitiously to the American contracting offices in Baghdad, and payoffs made in paper bags that were scattered in 'dead drops' around the Green Zone, the nerve center of the United States government's presence in Iraq, two senior federal officials said."
"Prosecutors have won 35 convictions on cases related to reconstruction in Iraq, yet most of them involved private contractors or midlevel officials. The current inquiry is aiming at higher-level officials, according to investigators involved in the case, and is also trying to determine if there are connections between those officials and figures in the other cases. Although Bell and Hirtle were military officers, they worked in a civilian contracting office."
So far, there have been just 35 convictions for the misuse of government funds during the reconstruction of Iraq.
These are individual greedyness, army also humans ya, bound to greedyness, the US govt have to do something about it.
Whatever you say, thats the result of incompetence and corruption.
Why, on Sep 10 2001, Rumsfield revealed that the Pentagon couldn't account for $2.3 trillion. The US Govt doesn't have the solution because it is the problem.
angel7030, i rather prefer u not to post and go out and enjoy yr teen parties. This is not a place for teenagers, u get it?
Originally posted by Worldlybusinessman:angel7030, i rather prefer u not to post and go out and enjoy yr teen parties. This is not a place for teenagers, u get it?
Don't be condescending, everyone has the right to post here, if you can't think of anything to rebutt her, ignore her. If thats what irritates you so much
Originally posted by angel7030:
These are individual greedyness, army also humans ya, bound to greedyness, the US govt have to do something about it.
What you say makes sense, in every country theres bound to be corruption, just that in Iraq, theres alot of it. This is one of the failures of the US government, they're very quick to point fingers, alot of times they're unable to realize that they could've done something to prevent it
Originally posted by Chris88110:
What you say makes sense, in every country theres bound to be corruption, just that in Iraq, theres alot of it. This is one of the failures of the US government, they're very quick to point fingers, alot of times they're unable to realize that they could've done something to prevent it
I won't say there's alot of it in Iraq. But 山高皇å¸�é� .
Suddenly these officials are given access to so much cash that they wouldn't have a chance of earning in their lifetime. Seems more of a human failing to me.
Originally posted by Stevenson101:I won't say there's alot of it in Iraq. But 山高皇å¸�é� .
Suddenly these officials are given access to so much cash that they wouldn't have a chance of earning in their lifetime. Seems more of a human failing to me.
"In one case, auditors working for SIGIR discovered that $57.8m was sent in 'pallet upon pallet of hundred-dollar bills' to the US comptroller for south-central Iraq, Robert J Stein Jr, who had himself photographed standing with the mound of money," wrote Cockburn. "He is among the few US officials who were in Iraq to be convicted of fraud and money-laundering.
....
"Before he was shot on a road north of Baghdad, Stoffel drew a portrait worthy of a pulp crime novel: tens of thousands of dollars stuffed into pizza boxes and delivered surreptitiously to the American contracting offices in Baghdad, and payoffs made in paper bags that were scattered in 'dead drops' around the Green Zone, the nerve center of the United States government's presence in Iraq, two senior federal officials said."
Well, more or less anyway. Its usually the less fortunate who are more susceptable to corruption. I said USUALLY. Of course there are many occasion where greed is insatiable for some individuals
Originally posted by Chris88110:Well, more or less anyway. Its usually the less fortunate who are more susceptable to corruption. I said USUALLY. Of course there are many occasion where greed is insatiable for some individuals
I agree. How else can we explain rich fuck CEOs who have more money than they need, robbing taxpayers, who are struggling to buy food, for billions of dollars in the name of "economic stimuluses"?