Billions Wasted in Iraq, Says US Audit

[Haole Girl]

Published on Monday, May 1, 2006 by the Guardian / UK

Billions Wasted in Iraq, Says US Audit
· Projects behind schedule despite massive outlay
· Roadside bomb kills 3 contractors, wounds 2

by Ewen MacAskill

A US congressional inspection team set up to monitor reconstruction in Iraq today publishes a scathing report of failures by contractors, mainly from the US, to carry out projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

In one case, the inspection team found that three years after the invasion only six of 150 health centres proposed for Iraq had been completed by a US contractor, in spite of 75% of the $186m (£100m) allocated having been spent.

The report says: "Fourteen more will be completed by the contractor, and the remaining facilities, which are partially constructed, will have to be completed by other means." The inspectors blame the failure in this instance on management problems and security concerns.

The danger facing foreigners in Iraq was highlighted yesterday when a roadside bomb 30 miles south of Baghdad killed three private security firm staff and wounded two others. One of the wounded is British, the Foreign Office said.

The detailed and lengthy report on work projects in Iraq has been drawn up by Stuart Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction (Sigir). Mr Bowen's office was set up after Congress expressed concern about the slow rate of reconstruction and the misuse of funds on a massive scale.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0501-04.htm

[SpiralHawk]

1. What's a few billion to corrupt republicon cronies ?

"Can we please talk some meaningful nunmbers, like trillions" - Skull & Boner George AWOL Bush to his Kabal of Korrupt republicon Kronies.

[pinniped]

2. There are still billions unaccounted for.

That POS viceroy needs to be arrested and sent away for life. I have no doubt he was in on Operation Con Job.

In a separate section, the report notes that a former contractor and former senior staffer in the now defunct US-led coalition government are facing jail sentences 30 to 40 years on corruption charges.The contractor will have to pay $3.6m in restitution and forfeit $3.6m in assets.

[fshrink]

3. Waste is the by-product of profit.

That's the cardinal law of capitalism.

[TexasLawyer]

4. what's waste is peanuts compared to

what's gone "missing."

[Moderator]

5. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2256709